Harry Potter and the End of War
by BolshevikMuppet99
Summary: Book 6 of the Downward Spiral Saga: As the last of the Ministry's forces fall, the war is all but won. Or would be, if Grindelwald wasn't still out there, biding his time and building up a force. And who is after the Dark Lord's Horcruxes? Dark!Harry. Sequel to HP and the Dirge of Hope
1. Chapter 1

**WELCOME TO THE SIXTH AND FINAL INSTALLMENT OF THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL SAGA. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT.**

 **IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE PREVIOUS BOOKS, YOU AINT GONNA KNOW WHATS FLYING.**

 **OF COURSE, I OWN NONE OF THIS.**

 **AS WITH THE PREVIOUS YEARS, THIS STORY IS EXTREMELY DARK AND CONTAINS EXTREME VIOLENCE, TORTURE, GORE, MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH, ETC. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW/P.M. ME**

 **WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I PRESENT: HARRY POTTER AND THE END OF WAR**

Chapter 1

It had been two months, since last he had left Malfoy Manor.

Two hellish, amazing, crazy months.

He hadn't been bored, that was for sure.

The Dark Lord had kept him very busy.

Apparently, his fighting skills, while impressive, were not what the Dark Lord expected from His second-in-command.

Every day. Every single day, he'd spent two hours or so crossing wands with his lord. It was insane. Harry'd been trained well, over the last few years. By Snape, Barty, and Grindelwald. But none of them even compared to the Dark Lord.

Voldemort was just on an entirely different level. And Harry was nothing if not eager to learn. He only had to remember how it had been, when Grindelwald had so effortlessly disarmed and immobilized him. He'd focus on that feeling of utter weak helplessness, and he'd grit his teeth, wipe the sweat off his brow, and carry on his training.

He was definitely improving. He could last more than a few minutes against Voldemort now, which already was a huge improvement on how he'd been when he'd first arrived back from Hogwarts.

It wasn't only training that was keeping him busy. The Dark Lord has been helping him and Daphne out, teaching them the rituals and spells they would need to create their own Horcruxes. Some of the rituals took a ridiculous amount of time. For one of them, he'd had to sit still for three hours while a really gross slab of some solidified potion dissolved in his mouth.

They were helping, for sure. The rituals were meant to strengthen his body, to make it more durable, and more impervious to minor injuries. That was definitely true. It wasn't like his skin was metal or some crazy comic-book bullshit like that. It was just, something that would have left a big bruise left a small one instead. Something that would have cut through his finger entirely would only cut halfway. Stinging Hexes barely hurt.

The rituals had other purposes, as well. To keep him from dying when he would tear a piece of his soul off, that was a pretty important part. To prepare the book that he would use as a container so that the piece of his soul wouldn't escape. So that the book would be impervious to most forms of damage. But he had done them all.

He was ready to do it. To make his very own Horcrux.

He breathed out heavily. It was intimidating, in a way. Intimidating, but exciting.

Immortality would be his, in just a few hours.

And then he'd be able to join in the fight.

For the last two months, he'd been sitting quietly indoors, learning and practicing. The Ministry and the Goblins, on the other hand, hadn't.

They'd attacked together, the ministry coming in from the North while the Goblins took the South. Already, the Ministry controlled the land from Scotland, all the way to York. Grindelwald and Hogwarts definitely helped, but who did what didn't matter. What mattered is who controlled the land. The goblins, meanwhile, had taken all the way up to Exeter and were steadily making their way toward Wiltshire. They moved through mostly uninhabited areas or wizarding villages, trying to avoid the muggles.

Of course, the ministry had clearly spoken to the muggle government. There had been a series of tornado, hurricane, and earthquake warnings, causing a lot of the muggle villages in what would otherwise be the line of fire to evacuate. Harry'd worried a bit, at first, that the muggles would bring in their armed forces. But then, the Dark Lord had made a point. It had been made quite clear to the ministry, that the muggle military groups were not to be involved.

Harry laughed, thinking of how the Dark Lord had made that point.

' _Fiendfyre really is wonderful'_

They hadn't really been fighting back too much. Mostly just holding the ministry and the goblins at bay.

The Dark Lord had wanted to wait, until the giants and dementors could be safely diverted from France and Greece, before truly attacking. They'd need them, too. Strong as the Death Eaters were, particularly with all the new recruits coming in from Eastern Europe, without the giants or dementors they'd need to put everyone on the line against the goblins. And while they did that, the ministry would gain even more ground. They needed enough manpower if just to be able to fight on two fronts at the same time.

But in the next few days, the Giants and Dementors would arrive.

And then the battle would truly begin.

Harry was determined to be a part of it. The Dark Lord, in fact, had hinted that he would give Harry control of a contingent in the northern front.

But only if he had made his Horcrux by then.

And so he sat on his bed, eyes closed, breathing deeply.

Nobody would disturb him today. He'd left very, very strict instructions. And he'd bolstered them by putting every locking and privacy spell on his room that he could.

He exhaled sharply, and stood up, making his way to the circle carved into the wooden floor.

Idly, he wondered if Daphne had already started on hers, in Greengrass Manor.

Clutching the book that would soon contain a portion of his soul, he began.

There were no words to this, spoken or thought. It was a battle of will, an act of pure magic, undiluted.

He reached into his mind, eyes tightly closed.

He focused all of his will and brought it to bear.

He imagined his soul, as he had seen it in the mirror. Imagined the cracks running through it.

And with hands made of his will and magic, he gripped hard, pushing imaginary fingers into the cracks and tugging.

His soul fought back, flinging around and trying to slide through his grip. But he held fast, not allowing it to escape.

He held fast, and he ripped.

And absolute, total agony tore through him.

This feeling-it was worse than the Cruciatus. Worse than what Bellatrix had done to him. A thousand times worse.

Somehow, he held on, not relaxing his grip, not allowing the pain to rip his mind away from the task at hand.

He held fast, his eyes tightly shut.

If someone else had managed to walk into the room right then, they'd have no idea that something so momentous was occurring.

They'd simply see Harry, standing in the middle of a strange runic circle, with his eyes closed, his body shaking, and a book clutched to his chest.

They wouldn't be able to see the imaginary battle that he was waging.

That he was waging and winning.

He managed to tear a piece of his soul off, and it fluttered madly, trying to free itself from his grip.

And he slammed it into the book, his eyes flying open as it screamed.

The spells and rituals on the book held. It didn't escape.

The book shook. Once, twice, three times, almost flying out of his hands.

And then it was still.

And he laughed, falling back into the bed.

He laughed, and if his voice sounded a bit colder than usual, he didn't notice.

* * *

"Well done, Harry," the Dark Lord said, glowing eyes piercing him. "Well done. You have taken a step that the vast majority of wizards would be too frightened to even contemplate. Well done"

He bowed his head forward. "Thank you, my lord. I-I really wouldn't have been able to do it. Without your help. Th-thank you, my lord"

Voldemort chuckled, His long fingers tapping the table in time with His laugh.

"Harry, Harry, Harry. I've told you far too many times. You are my second-in-command. It would be foolish of me not to give you every assistance. And I am no fool"

"No my lord, you are not"

"Indeed. Has Daphne completed hers as well?"

"I-I'm not sure. She'll be coming here tonight. She was planning on creating it today, so-"

"So you are reluctant to contact her lest she is in the midst of the ritual. I see. I hope she understands, how greatly I have placed my trust in her"

Harry nodded.

"Even without me telling her of my own Horcruxes, she would have to be a fool to believe that I was not speaking from personal experience, in all my lectures to you two. And she seems no fool"

"I-I think she realizes, my lord. But she hasn't said anything, and-"

"And it is best that she never does. I would be most furious if she ever divulges the secret of my, your, or her immortality to anyone. And even to one protected by a Horcrux, great damage can be done. You understand?"

"I-I do"

"Good. Ensure that she does, as well. Nobody is to know. Nobody"

"I'll make sure of it, my lord. But-but I don't think she would-"

"And neither do I. Nevertheless, it will not hurt to emphasize that point"

"I-I'll make sure of it" he repeated.

"Do so. Do not forget. If you wish to make more Horcruxes, you must wait between them. At least three months. Preferably four or five"

Harry nodded, remembering the dire warnings Voldemort had given them, about all the things that could go wrong if too many Horcruxes were made without waiting long enough.

"The giants will be arriving tomorrow. The Dementors are already here. We will attack the following day. You will be leading a group, primarily comprised of your schoolmates. Your mission will be to cut off the enemies retreat"

"At-at the northern front, my lord?"

"Correct. We will strike with all our force, excepting the giants, Dementors, and myself. While our main force meets them at the front, you and your smaller team will come in behind them, and cut off their retreat. Destroy the possibility of their retreat. Fiendfyre, earthquakes, everything. With the anti-apparition and anti-portkey wards, they will be forced to move on foot. And you will stop them"

Harry nodded again, this time with a smile.

' _Finally!'_

"You will be going to face the Goblins, my lord?"

The Dark Lord's sudden snarl made Harry sit up straighter.

"Yes. I will deal with the vermin. And I will make them pay. I want the contents of our vaults back. And I will make them return our property"

"I-I was taking money out of my vault for a while, my lord. Because I knew they would confiscate it when I-I-killed Dumbledore. I still have a good amount, if we need-"

"It is not only gold!" The Dark Lord hissed. "Priceless heirlooms, taken by their grubby claws. They dared to put their hands on the belongings of their superiors, and for that, they will pay!"

Harry shrunk back, shocked at the sudden outpouring of rage he was seeing.

' _Holy shit. It has to be. He had one of them in Gringotts. Merlin. Holy shit'_

Voldemort breathed deeply, His gleaming eyes closing for a minute.

"I will make them pay. As I will make all who dare to stand against us pay"

Suddenly, the snarl was replaced with a smile. Somehow, on the Dark Lord's snake-like face, that was scarier.

"Now that you have a safety measure in place, I no longer have to go easy on you during your training"

For some reason, Harry felt a nervous shudder run through his spine at those words.

* * *

He saw it the second she arrived, the instant the fireplace swirled and thrust her out.

There was something different. Something different about her face.

Something different about the eyes he had spent so long drowning in.

Her face looked like it was blurred. Only slightly, but it was there.

And the sclera of her eyes were pinkish.

From the way she was staring at him, he looked the same.

' _Small price to pay. Hell, she looks even better, this way'_

Before he knew it, she was hugging him tightly.

"You did it!" She whispered, her breath hot on his ear.

"And so did you"

"All right, get a room, you two"

They separated, turning towards where Draco was limping into the room, leaning on his silver-headed crutch.

His eyes widened for a moment as he took in their appearances. But he said nothing.

"Get a room? Have you forgotten how I found you and Tori yesterday?"

"You walked into my room! Without even knocking!" He turned to Harry. "You might wonder why your girlfriend is wandering around my room, Potter"

"She wanted to ask Tori something," he said with a shrug.

"A likely story. Anyway, you guys want something to eat?"

"Depends. Is your mum still trying to cook her grief away?"

Draco shook his head. "Winky made ham"

"Thank god. I tell you, Draco, your mum's been a mother to me, but damn, she doesn't know how to cook"

"You don't have to tell me" he muttered, limping his way toward one of the smaller dining rooms.

"I'm guessing you're not gonna be joining us in the battle?" Harry asked, putting down his cutlery.

"What gave it away?" Draco said haughtily. "Was it the fucked up walk, or the cane?"

"A bit of both, really"

"Twat"

"So what are you gonna do?"

Draco's chest puffed out a bit. "I'm going to working with the information crew. We're trying to put a message together, one that we'll send out to every witch and wizard in Britain after the ministry falls. It's a lot harder than it sounds, but-"

"But it's exactly the type of thing you've wanted to do all along," Daphne said quietly.

Draco nodded, looking serious. "Yeah. I-if I'm talented in anything, it's this type of thing. And since I'm talented in fucking everything, I-"

"Am a total prat?"

Draco flicked a spoon of peas at Harry, who threw the gravy boat back.

Which exploded in mid-air, splattering the three teens with gravy.

"What the fuck!"

"Oh! I'm sorry ickle-ones. I thought it was an attack!"

Bellatrix bounded into the room, smiling widely. She waved her wand with a giggle, Vanishing the gravy.

"When are you going to come and play with Capella?" She asked, looking at Harry and Daphne and pouting.

"She's still sane?" Harry asked, intrigued.

Tonks had been fun, but she'd never struck him as the type of person who could stay sane after two months of Bellatrix playing with them.

"Oh, there's no point if she isn't sane. She's very sane. She barely even answers to her old abomination of a name anymore"

In spite of himself, Harry shivered. What Bellatrix was doing to Tonks was insanely, terrifyingly, horrifically, brilliant. And she was going to succeed. She would totally tear the laughing metamorphmagus into pieces and rebuild her.

"I have to thank you, actually, Harry. For the hairs"

"The hairs?"

"You know. The hairs that you brought from the Order of the Phoenix? Those hairs?"

"Oh. Wow. I almost forgot about them. You've been using them well?"

Bellatrix laughed hysterically.

"It's so hard for her, the poor thing. When her werewolf comes to her at night and tells her how disgusting she is"

Draco looked like he wanted to vomit at that. Daphne just looked interested.

"That's pretty clever, actually"

"Thank you, Harrykins. I know. I'd like all of your help, one of these days. I think it would be brilliant if all of her friends were laughing at her while I play with her, one day. And you brought so many of those hairs"

"Uh. Yeah. Sure. Why not?"

He chanced a glance at Daphne. She nodded with a shrug.

"You know," Bella said, her voice dropping until it was just above a growl. "That dirty half-blood whore was pregnant! Pregnant! With the werewolf's baby!"

"Was?" Draco asked, faintly.

He looked like he regretted asking it instantly, when Bella spun on him, snarling.

"Of course, was. I couldn't let her grow a monster inside her! She has our blood!"

She looked a bit regretful for a moment, eyes downcast. "I should have made her eat it" she muttered and left the room.

Draco broke the silence a few minutes later, when he pushed his plate away and stood up, his cane almost falling over.

"Well," He said, looking a bit greenish, "I have no appetite anymore. G'night, guys"

Harry just waved at him, swallowing the last piece of ham.

* * *

Harry kissed Daphne, before turning to the rest of his troops.

"Ok. Here's the plan. We're going to make our way forward. We know that they're about two kilometers ahead of us. So we move toward them. In the meantime, the main force will attack from the front. They're not expecting it, cause things have been so quiet. So when they start running toward us, we tear them to shreds. We really fuck their shit up. Got that?"

They all nodded. He looked over them again. Only last year this time, they'd all been packing their bags, heading to King's Cross for the Hogwarts Express.

Last year this time, they were barely more than kids.

Now they were soldiers.

In the back of his mind, he wondered what platform nine and three quarters looked like right then. He glanced at his watch. Another forty-five minutes and the Hogwarts Express would sound its horn, and begin its journey.

But he and his brave few, they stood under the sun. Ready to charge.

Ready to kill.

Fine, they weren't all Hogwarts students. There were a bunch of Europeans with them, one or two of whom he was sure he recognized from the Durmstrang contingent to Hogwarts, in his fourth year. There were even a few older people.

Not everyone there was Marked. But all of those that were, had their left sleeve torn off, proudly showing off their brand.

And everyone there was looking at him to lead.

He smiled.

"Remember. Don't bother with taking out individuals, unless they're posing a threat. Instead of a single Killing Curse, throw an explosion. Cause an earthquake or a tornado, bring down fucking lightning bolts. We're looking to cause as much damage as we can. Anyone else here that can cast fiendfyre?"

One of the Russians nodded, raising his hand.

"You can control it?"

He nodded again.

"Good. I'll be on the far right, you take the far left. We're gonna fucking cover this field with it. The rest of you, aim just behind the fiendfyre."

They lined up, a warm breeze ruffling through his hair.

He held his wand, wondering when it would come. When they would come running toward their deaths.

He giggled slightly, nervous energy making its way out of him.

Fiendfyre was the most difficult spell the Dark Lord had taught him. It was truly sentient. And it wanted to be free. Controlling it was a battle of will, a fight, which if he lost, would be to the death.

There were only two types of people who cast fiendfyre: those whose wills were strong enough to control it, and those who were eaten alive by it.

He hadn't cast it in earnest before. Not without the Dark Lord standing by, prepared to quench it if anything went wrong.

But now, he would. And he would feel it, as his flaming creations took life after life. He would fight in ecstasy, pitting his will against that of a creation of the darkest magic. And he would win.

They waited, the wind rustling through the trees that dotted the edges of the field.

In the distance, they could see flashes of light. They could hear, just barely, screams echoing on the edge of the wind.

And they waited.

They didn't have too long to wait.

Half an hour or so after they first lined up, they began to make out shapes running toward them.

The shapes drew nearer, and they saw the incoming enemy tide.

Easily a thousand of them, running, shooting spells over their shoulders.

As they drew even nearer, the spells began flying toward their waiting deaths.

"Now," Harry said, voice resolutely not cracking on the word.

All across the line, wands were raised. No spell was fired. Not yet. The enemy, though they came closer, was still out of range.

And his troops were waiting for him to lead the attack.

He raised his wand, flowing through the twisting motions, ending with a downward flick.

"Fiendfyre" he all but whispered.

The basilisk flowed out first, followed immediately by a swarm of monstrous beasts. Manticores, Sphinxes, Hippogriffs, half-formed things he had no name for.

He smiled, seeing a fiery raven flying above the rest of them.

And then the basilisk's will slammed into his mind, trying to tear itself away from him, trying to set itself free.

He gritted his teeth, and blocked out everything else, ignoring the spells being cast along the line, the giant clumps of earth flying in the distance. He ignored the screams, the explosions, the shouted curses. He doubled down, pitting his will against that of the beast he had created.

And he won.

He gestured toward the approaching army, dimly noting the Russian doing the same thing on the opposite end of the line.

And the fiendfyre swarmed forward.

He laughed, feeling them pounce. He could feel it, every life his beasts sniffed out. They registered in the back of mind, like a noise going off against the backdrop of his ecstatic battle of wills with the basilisk.

That was part of the danger of fiendfyre. While he controlled it, he had to focus so much of his mind on it that he could barely do anything else. He sure as shit couldn't cast anything else at the same time.

Time itself meant nothing. There was only him, standing there with his wand stretched forward, the length of wood growing hotter in his hand with each passing second, sweat running a river down his face, and his mind fighting for control.

It didn't grow easier either. If anything, it grew harder. Especially as the Ministry force started fighting back, and his beasts were finding it harder and harder to find targets.

Eventually, he was barely in control. So he ended it, ignoring the growls and roars as he killed the fiendfyre.

As the spell died and his mind was available again, he registered the screams and explosions, the curses and shouts.

He stood there for a few moments, breathing heavily, his glasses almost sliding off of his nose, his wand slick in his hand.

All his muscles hurt.

He'd never held fiendfyre for that long, never.

But it had been so worth it.

There were barely any living forms left on the field. Not that he could see so well. Sweat had run into his eyes, making them burn. He couldn't keep them open for more than a second or two before he had to hurriedly shut them again.

"You all right?" Daphne shouted, making herself heard over the echoes of explosions.

"Yeah" He wheezed, "it just-takes a lot out of me. How're we doing?"

"Great! None of them have even come close! They ran back the other way when they saw the fiendfyre and the earthquakes"

"And-and what's going on now?"

The loud bangs and shouts were starting to die down, coming less frequently. From the distance, he could hear cheering.

"We've-we've won. Come. Let's go home"

He stood up straight, wiping his eyes clear.

He ran his gaze over the battlefield, smiling.

Barely any movement from the Ministry's force, now. He could see a few stragglers, still casting and screaming frantically.

But the Death Eaters' main force was drawing down on them, and shortly, it'd all be over.

"WE WON! WE FUCKING WON!"

And all his troops cheered along with him.

"C'mon. Let's get to the apparition point and get the fuck out of here"

* * *

"You have done well, Harry. I see my choice in placing you as a leader was not a mistake"

"Thank you, my lord. In truth, though, it was the main force that did most of the work. We barely even had to deal with any of them"

Voldemort smiled, shaking his head slowly. "Nevertheless, had you not been there, many more of them would have escaped. As it is, the Ministry's force has been decimated. And finally, it is within our grasp"

Harry waited expectantly.

"Many of the goblins are still at large. And even the non-warrior goblins are dangerous. But a large number of their troops have been dealt with. And they have proven exceptionally weak to Dementors. In another few days" the Dark Lord said, "we are going to take the Ministry. And with it, all of Europe, except Scotland and the Goblins' land, will be ours. And after that, the rest of the world will fall. Soon, Harry. Soon, we shall rule"

 **AS ALWAYS: REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW.**

 **PROBABLY GONNA BE ANOTHER WEEK OR EVEN TWO TILL I UPDATE. HAVE A TONKS-CENTRIC ONE-SHOT TO SWEETEN THE DEAL.**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: I OWN NOTHING**

 **PLEASE REVIEW/P.M. ME**

 **ENJOY!**

Chapter 2

Once their main fighting force was crushed, the Ministry fell easily.

The Dark Lord led the charge into the Ministry, and although the remaining Aurors tried to put up a fight, they were no match for Him.

It didn't take long until all the ministry workers were lined up, divided by department they had worked in, kneeling on the marble floor before the new leaders of Britain. Many of them were crying as the Dark Lord strode before them and gave a speech.

"The Ministry is now in our hands. Practically all of Europe is now in our hands. Within a paltry few years, the entire world will be in our hands. I give you an offer, those of you who were once content to aid the Ministry in its quest to destroy wizarding life. Join me. Continue working in my ministry, and aid us in bringing the wizarding world to its deserved glory. This is your choice. Join us, or die"

The Atrium was perfectly silent for a few minutes, until one by one, the kneeling captives proclaimed their loyalty. The Dark Lord walked before the line, accepting their pledges. Most of their pledges. Some of the groups, particularly the Goblin and Muggle Liaison Offices were totally ignored.

One by one, the Dark Lord stopped in front of almost all the captives and accepted their pledges. None of them tried to fight.

All those who had been brave enough to fight to the death were already dead. Almost all, at least. Scrimgeour was held to the side, kept under a full body-bind as he helplessly watched.

Harry stood back, a few meters behind his lord. He clasped Daphne's hand in his and watched as history was made.

' _This is it. It's fucking happening. We've practically won'_

"Excellent" The Dark Lord hissed, walking along the line until he reached the members of the Goblin and Muggle Liaison Offices. "Of course, some departments will no longer exist. We have no need for such treasonous cowardice in our new world"

Harry managed to stifle a giggle as he saw a woman kneeling right before Voldemort wet herself.

"Who is the head of each of these departments?" Voldemort asked, his voice a silky dagger.

Heads turned, coming to face two men.

"Harry, bring these two"

Harry released Daphne's hand, and walked forward, his wand flashing.

The two men stiffened as the body-binds hit them, and a moment later rose into the air.

The Dark Lord turned to face His followers.

"Dispose of those who were content to consort with such filth," He said, gesturing towards the people He had just been standing before.

He walked away, with Harry following and the two men being levitated along, as screams filled the air.

They reached an empty office, and after the Dark Lord motioned to him, Harry set one of the men down in front of the table and removed the body-bind.

"What is your name, goblin lover?"

"I-I'm Fr-Frank. Frank Stebbins"

"What happened to the contents of our vaults?"

Stebbins clammed up, shaking.

The Dark Lord hissed, and gripped the man's chin, forcing his head up.

They stared into each other's eyes for a bit, Stebbins growing steadily more pale and shaky until the Dark Lord hissed again and turned His head away.

"You will do this for me. Go to the Goblins. Tell them that if they surrender now if they lay down their arms and return our property, I will spare them. If not, I will eradicate them from the face of the Earth"

"I-I-"

"You want those miserable wretches to live, do you not?" The Dark Lord asked, wry amusement filling his tone. "Do not lie to me. I saw the truth proclaiming itself from within your pitiful mind. If you want to give them a chance to live, then you will do as I say"

Stebbins looked up again, swallowing nervously.

Harry fingered his wand.

"I-I-I'll do it"

"As I said. Go. Now"

As he scurried out of the door, the Dark Lord motioned to Harry again.

He removed the body bind on the second man, and the Dark Lord rounded on him with a feral snarl.

"Now. Tell us about the methods of communication with the muggle government"

* * *

"Your majesty, please. I beg of you-"

Olrik snarled, fingering the blade of his ax. At the sound, two guards seemed to appear out of nowhere in the gloom, their blades glinting inches away from Stebbins' face.

"Wizards. All of you the same. You beg us to fight, and now you betray us. Why should I allow you to report back to your new master?"

Stebbins inhaled sharply, trying to calm his mind. He knew goblins, better than any other human. But they were furious and terrified.

"We didn't betray you," he said quietly, hating how forlorn he sounded, wishing his voice could carry strength in it. "We lost. And I-I was given no choice, about delivering this message-"

"Surrender or die. That is what he tells us. That is what you tell us"

"Your majesty. Please. M-my whole life, since I finished school. I was working for the betterment of the relationship between our peoples. There is no human alive who despises the way this situation has played out more than I"

"And yet you come here, telling us to appease him. You, who claim to want what is good for us. You tell us to surrender"

He swallowed thickly, not daring to meet the king's eyes.

"Yes. I-I wish I wasn't. But you-you can't win. Not against him. Not with the damage he's already done to your people. If you continue to fight, he will kill all of you. But if you surrender, your people will still live"

The king chuckled absolutely humorlessly. "We will survive, true. But for what? To be slaves? To be in no better a situation than the elves? I have seen and heard how he treats his own people. I do not wish to even imagine how he would treat mine"

"But they would still live," Stebbins said, almost begging. "They would still live, and one day, even-even you-know-who will-will die-"

"Will he? I have heard that he claims to be immortal. And even so. We would merely survive. We would not live. I cannot put my people through that. No. Come what may, we will fight"

Olrik cocked his head to one side, his ears twitching.

"And what will you do, wizard?"

"I am no warrior," Stebbins said quietly. "I can barely fight. But I can draw my wand quickly. And an attack from me would be unexpected. And yet, I will most probably, almost certainly, die"

"And you tell us to surrender?"

"When I die, wizardkind will still live on. I have no wife or children to suffer for my attempt. I was an only child, and already I have outlived my parents. I have no more friends, not among the living. My death will affect no-one other than myself. The death of an entire race, on the other hand..."

He left his words hanging in the air, as the certainty filled him. He had meant what he said. He was no fighter. He was not brave. But he would rather die than live the life that he knew was his only other option. And so, he would take his way out. And if, by some chance, he was successful...

Well, miracles could happen. But he would rather die than live in a world where Voldemort ruled.

"No. Wizard, I thank you for your attempt. But no. We would rather die than live under his thumb. And that, I think, is something you can understand"

He nodded and stood up.

And Olrik stretched out a hand to him.

For a moment, he simply stared. Goblins did not do such a thing. Physical contact with a human was not something goblins did.

He stretched out his hand as the King's bodyguards gasped, and he gripped Olrik's horned claw in his own.

"Go well, Stebbins. Friend of the Goblins"

If the bodyguards had gasped before, it was dwarfed by their shocked exclamations at those few words.

Those few words, not used to refer to a human for over two hundred years.

"Th-thank you, your majesty. Thank you"

Stebbins hurried out of the cavern, just managing to avoid the stalactites in the gloom.

Olrik watched him go, as he ran his tongue over his incisor.

"Gather the Nation" he growled out In gobbledegook. "Everyone"

His bodyguards gasped at him for a moment.

"Now!" He barked, clapping his hands together, and they jumped to it.

' _Go well, wizard. You understand us. We will die in battle, rather than the slow death of subjugation. And we will die with the songs of war on our lips and the enemies blood on our axes'_

The last King of the Goblins sighed and began to plan his final speech to his people.

* * *

"Harry. We will take action within a week. I want it done simultaneously. Their generals, their leading politicians, their Minister. All of them at the same time"

Harry nodded, feeling the excitement already.

' _Oh, it's gonna be good'_

"We will deal with the Goblins before then if it proves necessary," the Dark Lord said, a snarl rising in His voice.

' _What happened? Did he find his-his Horcrux? He would be way more pissed if it was destroyed, but-'_

"Has Horatio been in contact recently?"

"N-not really, my lord. He-he called a few days ago, but just to say how it's been hard, and-"

"When next he is in contact, find out if anyone is missing from Hogwarts. Any student who Dumbledore could conceivably have told about my safeguards"

"I-I will. But, if-if I may ask-"

The Dark Lord sighed and began pacing the room, kicking aside the body on the floor as He did.

"The Cup was kept in Bellatrix's vault. And it was handed over to the ministry. And just a few days after our battle against the ministry's forces, three people claimed it from the ministry. Their faces were cloaked in shadows, and he could not see them. But from their height, the goblin lover believes them to be Hogwarts age. And they had a note from Grindelwald, saying how important it is that they take it"

"I-I-I'll ask him, my lord" Harry said, mind racing.

' _Who could it be? Who the fuck would Dumbledore have told?'_

"Was there any indication, any at all, that Dumbledore was meeting with other students? With those who showed their allegiance to him proudly?"

"I-I'm not sure, but-"

A memory flooded him. In his mind's eye, he saw Diggory coming over to him, telling him about a meeting with Dumbledore or dropping a scroll in his lap. He saw it over and over, all the times Diggory had come over the course of the year.

And he saw something else too. Something he hadn't really noticed at the time.

"What is it?" The Dark Lord asked softly, intently focused on Harry's face.

"I-I can't be certain, my lord. But-when I would meet with Dumbledore, he had Cedric Diggory, the Head Boy, come over to tell me about the meeting each time. And-and I never really noticed it, but thinking back-"

"What?"

"He-whenever he came up to me, either just before talking to me or just after, Diggory would go over to the Gryffindor table. And-and he didn't really need to. It wasn't on the way. Not from the Hufflepuff table. And I-I don't remember seeing him going there that often otherwise. But it-it could be nothing"

"Or it could be everything" Voldemort murmured, still staring at Harry. "Thank you. Tell me what Horatio says"

"I-I will, my lord"

And right then, Stebbins walked in, with Daphne right behind him, her wand poking him in the back.

"Well?"

Harry had to admire the way the man barely glanced at the body on the floor.

With a gulp, Stebbins said, "the goblins they-they say that-that-"

A single eyebrow rose on the Dark Lord's serpentine face.

"They choose death?" He asked quietly.

"They choose freedom!" Stebbins shouted, voice cracking as he drew his wand.

The Dark Lord's hand blurred as he cast a spell.

And a blindingly bright white light enveloped Stebbins right hand.

When it vanished, his hand and the wand it had been gripping were gone. Not cut off, but gone as if they had never been. His wrist ended smoothly, rounding itself off. He stared at it in dismay, his mouth working soundlessly, as the Voldemort laughed.

"You thought to surprise me? Me? No. I fear you mistook me for one of your creatures"

Voldemort's wand paused, halfway through the motions of a spell.

"Harry, Daphne. Would you like this one?"

Harry didn't even have to look at Daphne.

"Yes, my lord. He would provide us with some useful entertainment"

"Take it. Don't let it escape, of course"

"I-we won't, my lord. Th-thank you"

He heard Daphne echoing his words, and smiled as he turned and stunned Stebbins.

"Don't keep it too long. And don't let it distract you from your duties. In the next few days, we will strike at the goblins. And after they are dealt with, we will deal with the muggles"

Harry and Daphne left the room, levitating the unconscious Stebbins before them.

The Dark Lord remained there, His hands clasped together behind His back, deep in thought.

* * *

By that night, the letters had already been sent. The information crew had done their work very well.

Led primarily by Daphne's father and Draco, they'd been working for weeks on this message, just waiting for the right time to send them out. And now, every magical dwelling in Britain was receiving their very own copy. And it was beautiful.

" _ **We have taken the Ministry. Britain is now under our control. Europe is now under our control.  
**_

 _ **Asia is under our control, and in a short time, the Indian subcontinent will be as well.**_

 _ **We wish to extend an olive branch, an offer of peace to every witch or wizard residing in the land under our control. We have no desire to spill any magical blood. Every death that could have been prevented is abhorrent to us. And so, we beg of you, heed our words. Do not cast our offer aside.**_

 _ **Join. Surrender. Die.**_

 _ **These are your options. We are in control. We face no significant opposition. And we are going to do nothing other than improve the wizarding world. We are going to restore the grandeur of yore, return our society to glorious days gone by.**_

 _ **Many of you have been misled, by those who desired power and riches for themselves. Do not misunderstand our intentions. We see nothing wrong with muggle-borns or half-bloods. They are wizards and witches, same as those of the most illustrious lineages. No. Our war is against those who seek to destroy us. Our war is against muggles, and those who dare to aid and abet them.**_

 _ **Once, Wizards and witches achieved the most magnificent feats. Few if any, have matched the accomplishments of the Hogwarts Founders, of Merlin. Why? Because we have been forced to live in secrecy. We have been unable to practice our skills as we see fit, fearful always of the shattering of the Statute of Secrecy, terrified that if we do something too profound to remain hidden, we will be discovered.**_

 _ **Why are we so afraid?**_

 _ **We all know why, ignore it as you may try.**_

 _ **The witch burnings. The Inquisitions. The hunts.  
**_

 _ **Muggles outnumber us one hundred and fifty to one. And they would hate us if they knew of us. They would despise us, as jealousy eats its way through their animal brains.  
**_

 _ **As they should. Imagine, from their point of view. They cannot defend themselves against us. The locks on their doors mean nothing against the simplest of spells. We can enter their safe places at will, kill or control them with a thought. Of course, they fear us.  
**_

 _ **And what will they do?**_

 _ **They will try and kill us. Of course, they will. And their technology, while primitive, is dangerous. A single bomb can eradicate a city.  
**_

 _ **A single bomb.**_

 _ **And how have we, our once glorious society, responded to this threat?**_

 _ **We have hidden away, allowing our numbers to dwindle. We have allowed rifts to come between us. We have hidden away, and pandered to the animals as they breed, covering the land with their filth.**_

 _ **We have hidden away, limited the use of our most powerful streams of magic, while the muggles overpopulate the earth, pollute the water, and poison the very air.**_

 _ **There is not enough space for our two races. As their technology increases, the chances of them discovering us rise as well.**_

 _ **And we hide away, allowing our numbers to dwindle.**_

 _ **And when they discover us, it will mean war.**_

 _ **And we will have been hiding and growing smaller for so long, that the chances of our survival will be slim.**_

 _ **We say no. We will not stand silently by. And if we cannot achieve our goals through peace.**_

 _ **Then we will be forced to assure a future for our children through war.**_

 _ **Join. Surrender. Die.**_

 _ **Join us. Every wand is needed. And every member of the militia will be handsomely rewarded, as will their family.**_

 _ **Surrender. Lay down your arms. Swear to never fight against us. And you and your family will live to see the wizarding world achieve new, unparalleled heights.**_

 _ **Or, you can fight. You can fight against us, betray your very blood. Betray your abilities, your kind, in favor of those who would happily slaughter you if only they knew of your existence.**_

 _ **Fight against us, and you will die. You will die, your families will die. We do not wish to spill a single drop of wizarding blood. But if you choose to fight against us, your blood and the blood of your spouses and children will be on your own hands.  
**_

 _ **Join. Surrender. Die.**_

 _ **We choose to spring the wizarding world into a new future.**_

 _ **You must make your own choice"**_

And it was emblazoned, at the top and at the bottom of the letter, with a large Dark Mark.

* * *

"So. Finishing off the goblins tomorrow?"

He turned over, putting his arm around her.

"Yeah. Maybe we can get Stebbins some company"

She laughed a little, glancing at the unconscious form hanging on the wall opposite the bed.

"Maybe. Where? With Gringotts destroyed, where are they all living?"

"Apparently they've got a whole tunnel network under the wreck. Under the vaults, even. But He doesn't want any of us going down there. It's too, too..."

"Twisty?"

"Yeah, I guess. It's a maze. So He's gonna send the Dementors down there. Goblins don't really have any defenses against them. And once they're flushed out, we'll all be waiting. In Diagon. I think there'll even be a few giants"

"What happened to the rest of them? The Giants?"

"Um. I think there were only like ten or fifteen in the first place. And the goblins killed two. And I think He sent a bunch back to France"

"Oh"

They fell silent for a bit, just lying there comfortably in each other's warmth.

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think-would you ever want kids?"

He leaned up on his elbows and looked down at her.

"What?" She asked, a little defensively.

"Where did that just come from? Like. What the fuck?"

"I was just...thinking. When we win. We're gonna have forever. Literally, forever. It might get a bit-boring, I guess. And I would-I would want kids. I think"

He leaned back and gave her a kiss.

"I-I don't know. I mean, Merlin, Daph. We're practically kids ourselves"

"I don't mean right away," she said indignantly. "I just meant eventually. Don't you think it'd get a bit lonely, eventually?"

"I could never be lonely with you around"

"Don't give me that sappy bullshit" she slapped him lightly. "You know what I mean"

"Yeah," He said with a sigh. "Do you really think we could do it? Raise kids? Without breaking them?"

She giggled.

"That's the good thing about being immortal. If we fuck up, we can just make more"

"We'd have to watch them get old and die," he said softly.

"Not if we-if we taught them how to avoid that"

His breath caught.

That could be interesting. That could be very interesting.

An image popped into his mind. Him and Daphne in a hundred years, with grandchildren around them.

"That-that could be interesting"

"I thought so"

"Let's just-let's not worry about this type of thing. Not now. Once we've won, we'll talk it over again. Not now"

"Fine"

They fell silent again. Harry searched around, looking for a topic that could be slightly less uncomfortable.

"Hey. How long do you think he'll last?"

"Depends how careful we are, I guess. I mean, Bella's kept Tonks for like three months now"

"Nearly four. And it's Capella, not Tonks"

"I almost forgot. Do you wanna take her up on her offer?"

"Maybe in a bit. Once we're done with the goblins, and we get some breathing space"

"Mmmm" she stretched her hand out, lightly running her nails over his stomach as she moved down.

"Wanna wake him up?"

He looked over to Stebbins. Merlin, but he looked funny with only one ear.

"Na. Let's leave it till tomorrow. And then we can move onto the rest of his face"

She giggled before abruptly stopping, her hand curling around his stiffening member.

"Do you think?" she asked hesitantly, "that He would teach us how he made the Marks?"

He stifled a groan before answering. "Uh. Maybe. Why?"

"Wouldn't it be cool" she whispered, "if we had our own? Just for me and you? That we could always be able to track each other, and always be able to call each other?"

"That-that would be more than cool. That would be fucking amazing"

"I know. Maybe you should ask Him sometime"

"Not till after the war. Not till things have calmed down"

' _Not till we've found whoever took the Cup and torn them to shreds'_

"No. Probably best to wait"

"Yeah. What would-what would you want it to look like?"

"A raven"

He smiled, as her hand began moving again.

 **AS ALWAYS: REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: I OWN NOTHING**

 **PLEASE REVIEW/P.M. ME**

 **ENJOY!**

Chapter 3

The Dementors swarmed into the broken wreck of Gringotts, a grayish-black tide diving into the tunnels.

Harry and the rest of them stood quite a way back. They had a good idea of where the goblins would come out from, and the Dark Lord stood near the entrance to that tunnel, flanked by two Giants.

Any goblins that somehow managed to get past those three would have a line of Death Eaters waiting for them.

No goblins would survive this day. Not in England, at least. And since the bulk of their population was centered in the tunnels below Gringotts, this day, this cold, windy day, would spell out the extinction of the Goblin Nation.

They stood back, in the ruins of Diagon Alley. Even though it'd been months since the Dark Lord's attack, some of the buildings were still smoking. Some of them were still hot to the touch.

' _Fiendfyre does not fuck around'_ Harry thought and suppressed a chuckle.

Diagon Alley was going to see a lot more fiendfyre today.

Only one store had survived the Dark Lord's onslaught.

Somehow, Ollivander had managed to protect his storefront from the fiendfyre. At least, at first Harry had thought the creepy old wizard had done something about it. But he'd asked Voldemort, how Ollivander had managed it.

And the Dark Lord had given him a rare smile and said: "I have no interest in destroying the premier wandmaker. Ollivander is not our enemy, though he may not be our friend. He takes no sides, and simply obeys the law. But having a wandmaker of his capabilities would certainly ensure a brighter future for the wizarding world"

Ollivander's store wasn't open today, though. He had been smart enough to close his shop when he saw the Dark Lord arriving, accompanied by two Giants, a horde of Dementors, and a small army of His Death Eaters.

The wind rustled along, blowing a lone colorful umbrella that had once graced the outside of Fortescue's parlor.

And the ground rumbled underfoot.

The remnants of the goblin army burst forth, and immediately, with inhuman grace, the Dark Lord spun into action.

A hundred fiery monsters leaped out of his wand, launching themselves at the oncoming goblins.

And the Dark Lord wasn't finished.

His wand didn't stop its frantic movements, spraying forth gale-force winds, lightning bolts, and killing curses with tremendous speed.

Harry watched, spellbound.

The closest thing he'd ever seen to the spectacle he was currently watching had been Grindelwald. But then, he'd been held up in arms of stone and terrified for his life. Now, he could watch, awestruck.

It was amazing.

The fiendfyre alone would have been crazy to see. Having learned to cast it himself, Harry could appreciate the difference between the meager amount and small size of his conjured beasts when compared to the Dark Lord's. But that wasn't what had Harry so shocked.

He knew how much concentration it took to control fiendfyre. And Voldemort was controlling His much greater than Harry could. No two of his beasts fought over a piece of prey, no.

And somehow, Voldemort was managing to cast a torrent of other curses at the very same time.

It was terrifyingly, hauntingly beautiful.

Everyone seemed to just stare, as the Dark Lord singlehandedly fought an army. They watched as a hippogriff dove down, tearing right through one of the Goblins' flanks.

They saw a group of goblins throw axes at a flaming cockatrice, causing the fire to lose shape for a few seconds before slowly regaining it.

And the Giants and Death Eaters stood stock-still, as the Dark Lord tore an enormous hole through the Goblin army.

Voldemort lowered his wand for a second, all spellcasting ceasing, the fiendfyre vanishing.

For a moment, the Goblins too, stopped, looking around in dismay as easily a third of their army lay dead and smoldering on the cobblestones around them.

"Charge," the Dark Lord said, his smirk audible.

And with a bellow, the giants ran forward, hefting their torn up trees, the roots flying around madly, leading the Death Eaters into battle.

It was absolute fucking madness. And it was absolutely fucking awesome.

He threw curses, flinging them around with wild abandon, only checking to see the size of his targets before attacking. There was no need to hold back, no reason to use any spell that could be less than lethal.

He attacked, blowing up the ground beneath the goblins' feet, blowing their armor off with killing curses and then ripping them apart.

He fought. He killed. He laughed, as blood sprayed across his face and turned sticky on his hands.

Harry found himself screaming wildly, casting curse after curse at a goblin that wouldn't stop running at him.

It kept deflecting them on its ax, swinging it in a half circle and knocking them aside.

He growled, casting another killing curse.

And the fucking thing threw a knife forward, striking the green jet precisely and exploding.

"Fucking die!"

He managed to blast its next knife out of the air.

And the goblin drew closer, running forward with a scream.

He spun, apparating with a crack, and appearing right behind the goblin, a killing curse on his lips.

The curse didn't kill the creature, instead only managing to destroy its armor and spin it around.

It snarled, showing him his teeth and throwing its ax from claw to claw.

He kept his eyes focused only on it. He ignored the shouts around him, ignored the curses flying around him, ignored the insane light show of war.

"Sectumsempra!" He cried, darting to the side as the spell left his wand.

"Gohath arah! Parzala Degarmi! Oculus Ruptio! Avada Kedavra!"

The goblin leaped high, avoiding his killing curse and flying at least ten feet into the air. He spun around, and it's fucking ax intercepted his blasting curse.

"Cruor Ignis! Avada Kedavra! Fucking die already!"

Another knife came flying toward him, and again, he managed to blast it out of the way.

"Serpensortia! Avis! Oppugno!"

" _$Kill this thing!$"_

The goblin did-something and the birds flew away from it, flying upwards.

The birds did, but the snakes didn't.

It started fighting them, managing to kill one and avoid two.

But not managing to avoid the fourth.

Its movements started growing sluggish, and Harry laughed as the other two joined in, downing it.

"Serpensortia! Serpensortia! Serpensortia! Serpensortia!"

Nineteen snakes surrounded Harry, and with a laugh, he gave them their orders.

" _$Kill Goblins$"_

Fine, they wouldn't be so useful with the Goblins' armor, but still. They'd help.

And even their armor didn't cover their eyes.

He laughed again, thinking of Spitting Cobras.

"Serpensortia! Serpensortia!"

He sagged, suddenly exhausted.

' _Fuck! I've never conjured nearly this many!'_

Conjurations, particularly of living things, always took way more energy out of him than anything else. And here he was, in the middle of a fucking war, tiring himself.

" _$Kill Goblins$"_ he told the waiting cobras, _"$or at least, blind them$"_

They slithered off, and he just stood there for a minute, his hands on his knees, breathing deeply.

' _What the fuck am I doing?! Anyone could just kill me!'_

He straightened his back with a click and rejoined the fray.

* * *

There weren't that many goblins left, now.

Harry lowered his wand, his muscles shaking with fatigue and pressure.

They'd been fighting for what seemed like hours. The sun had started in its descent, and soon it would be night.

But the battle would be over by then.

The street was absolutely covered in bodies and broken goblin armor.

And for every human body, there were at least fifteen goblins.

The last hundred or so goblins seemed to be ignoring everyone else, attacking the remaining giant even as spellfire took their lives from behind.

But they didn't care, they were dead set on taking out the giant.

"They really hate Giants, hey?" Someone behind him said with a laugh.

He heard Rookwood spit loudly before answering.

"Na. They had a treaty with them once. They think the Giants are betraying them, and-HOLY SHIT!"

One of the Goblins had taken a huge jump, landing somewhere around the giant's knee. It stabbed in with its ax, and jumped up again, using its ax and knives as climbing picks on the giant's body.

"Merlin. Would you look at that"

Roaring with pain, the giant tried to brush it off, but the goblin was faster than its enormous hand.

And before long, it was on the Giant's face, pulling its ax back.

"Don't!"

Harry lowered his wand again, looking at Snape.

"Why the fuck not? Are we just going to-"

"And if you miss? Anything you could cast that would damage that creature with its armor, would kill the giant"

"Yeah, But-"

The gasps around him made him snap his head around, just in time to see the Goblin pull its ax out of the giant's eye.

And the giant roared, spinning around madly and stamping its feet.

' _At least it's crushing those goblins around it'_

But more of them were jumping onto its legs now, starting to climb up.

And the giant fell forward, shaking the street so much with its collapse that Harry almost fell over.

Just then, the Alley grew colder. A pall seemed to fall over the waning sun.

Harry turned, unsurprising to see the Dementors swirling out of the tunnel.

And flowing toward the few remaining goblins.

* * *

The sunset sparkled, the cold chill of the evening sweeping over the bloodstained cobblestones.

They gathered close.

The goblin was on its knees, its armor still on, though dented and marked.

Its crown was still resolutely stuck on top of its helmet.

"Avada Kedavra"

Its armor broke off, falling to pieces.

It looked up resolutely, meeting its death's gaze.

"Well? What say you, King? King of a race that is no more. King of the dead. What say you?"

The Goblin King looked around the street, at the corpses of its people. It looked up again, at the Dark Lord.

"Your people are no more. The Dementors say there are none left in the tunnels, but even if there were, the fiendfyre I will send shall take care of them. You had a choice. I offered you mercy. And you rejected it. This is what happened to those who reject my offers"

With a harsh, hacking sound, the last Goblin laughed.

"You gave us a choice. Wizards. And you call us monsters?"

"Any last words, King of the dead?"

The Goblin King continued to laugh.

"Avada Kedavra"

And Olrik, last king of the Goblin Nation died.

* * *

"Pity we didn't get him a friend"

Stebbins moaned at the foot of their bed, waving its stumps at them.

It couldn't see anymore, not without eyes, but it could still hear. And even though they'd taken its lips, they hadn't removed its tongue, so it could still speak.

"Yeah," He said, repositioning himself against her back and throwing his arms around her.

He stifled a yawn.

"Pl-pl-pl-please. K-k-kill me. Kill me. Kill me. Please. Pl-please. P-please. K-kill me"

"Fuck," he said, snuggling tighter to her, his cock hardening against her cheeks. "He's like a fucking broken record, isn't he?"

She giggled, wiggling back against him. "I'm starting to get bored of him. Can we just use him up already?"

"But-I wanted to- to see if we could get all his skin off. You know, without him dying"

"C'mon, Harry. We can't keep him too long. Didn't you hear about Capella?"

' _Tonks, shifting her features to look like each of the Weird Sisters, trying to get him to laugh'_

"No? What happened to her?"

"She tried to kill herself!"

"Seriously? She waited till now?"

' _Tonks, smiling and joking around, knowing that he hated it in the Order's Headquarters, just trying to make it better for him'_

"Yeah. Bella says it's always a danger if you keep them too long. But get this, she fucking smashes her head against the wall to do it. Of course, Bella has wards set up to let her know about anything like that, but still..."

' _Sirius, saying in a letter about how happy Tonks'd been since she got together with Lupin'_

"Damn. So what's Bella gonna do?"

"She says she'll punish her. Make her realize that it's not worth it. And that if she tried again, she'll let Sharptooth play with her. And she really wants us to come, sometime"

"Yeah. Sometime"

Daphne leaned her head back, coming to rest on his.

"Is it hard for you?" She asked quietly. "Her. She was nice to you when you were staying there"

He swallowed thickly. "Na. It's fine. Stupid half-blood bitch. She chose the wrong side"

Daphne turned around, looking deep into his eyes.

After a moment, she nodded.

"Let's finish him off. Please, babe. To celebrate the battle. You were too tired last night, and-"

He grabbed his wand off of the bedside table in an answer.

She smiled and reached for her own.

And in unison, they called out: "Crucio!"

They hadn't taken its tongue, and even without lips, Stebbins could still scream.

* * *

Phillip Peltier walked through the wrought iron gates, a wand pressed firmly into the small of his back, another two wands pointed at him, one from each side.

As the second line of Dark Mark Detectors screamed out their warnings, one of his guards snapped their wand towards them, shutting the noise off.

"Thank you," He said snidely, "I was afraid I would develop a headache"

The wand pressed into his back a bit harder, and it's owner growled at him. "Shut up, scum. Just shut up"

"But my whole purpose here is to talk, and-"

He rubbed his arm balefully.

' _Stinging hexes? They are nothing more than children. My Lord will have an easy time with them'_

"Just because you're here under a truce flag doesn't mean we have to listen to your bullshit. Now fucking walk, Death Eater scum"

He sighed. At the very least, they could be more creative with their insults.

He was led through the entrance hall, led down a corridor.

He'd never been to Hogwarts before. He'd gone to Beauxbatons, instead.

He found himself wondering whether the school was always this dreary, this quiet. This dead.

Or maybe it was due to their fears of the war that there were very few sounds of children.

' _And they should be afraid. My Lord will kill them all'_

He kept his eyes open, taking note of all that he saw.

For all that it was an enormous honor to be the Dark Lord's envoy, he did wonder why his Lord hadn't chosen a Hogwarts graduate for this, one who would be able to tell the difference between the school in a regular time to now.

' _He told you why, idiot. He wanted someone who would not be immediately recognized, who there were no strong emotions about to cause foolish actions'_

' _Or maybe'_ a small voice whispered, ' _he chose you because you're expendable'_

Before he had time to do more than brush that thought off and remind himself of what an honor had been bestowed upon him, he was thrust into Grindlewald's room.

' _This is more like it'_

He could feel the menace radiating from the students in this room. A pair of twins flanked Grindelwald's chair, and they looked like they wanted nothing more than to tear apart the interloper.

A dark-skinned girl stood near them, and he saw how she fingered her wand, staring at him with a horrible grin.

And Grindelwald drew his eye.

He walked forward, his knees suddenly wobbling.

"Lord Grindelwald, I bear-"

"Just Grindelwald. Gellert, even. I claim no meaningless titles. I am man enough to use my own name, and ever I have been"

He should have bristled at the insult to his Lord, but Grindelwald's eyes burned into him, gazing into his soul.

His stomach roiled, but he pushed forward and spoke again.

"I-I bear a message from my Lord, and-"

"Who is your lord?"

He almost jumped at Grindelwald's softly asked question.

"I-You know who He is, and-"

"Are you afraid to say his name?"

Grindelwald's followers laughed, an ominous sound that made Phillip want to vomit.

"I-Lord V-Voldemort. That's who I follow"

Grindelwald nodded.

"Prove it"

"Your Detectors-"

"Show. Me."

He didn't even think, just rolled up his left sleeve.

Grindelwald was standing before him in a flash, barely even seeming to cross the intervening space.

Phillip felt his Mark being stroked, but he didn't feel Grindelwald's thumbnail pierce his skin, letting a single drop of blood well up.

He didn't feel a drop of Grindelwald's blood entering his arm, didn't hear the muttered incantation, didn't see the Elder Wand flash.

He looked down, as Grindelwald released his arm, and didn't see the tiny, already healed cut.

"Tell your lord," Grindelwald said quietly, "that I will never parley with him. That he will die an eternal death at my hand. Go. Tell him"

Phillip ran his tongue over dry lips. "I-He-He said-"

"NOW!" Grindelwald roared, and Phillip ran, urine making its way down his legs, horrible laughter echoing in his ears.

* * *

"Well? What did Grindelwald have to say?"

Phillip kneeled before his Lord's throne, hoping that he would not suffer for his failure.

"He-he-my lord, I am- I am truly sorry, but he said that-that he will not parley"

The Dark Lord's hands gripped His armrests, His fingers pushing their way into the wood.

"Did you tell him-"

Phillip straightened up suddenly, his whole body bearing itself differently.

"Lovely place you have here," he said, his voice tinged with a Germanic accent. "I'm sure the Malfoys are most pleased with your commandeering their home"

Voldemort's eyes widened, and his wand shot forward, blazing through a series of complex movements.

"Grindelwald, I presume?"

Phillip's body gave an elaborate bow. "The very same"

"And using the Osiris mechanism. If you are so happy to delve into such magic, surely you see our similarities. Why must we fight? Why must you force me to kill you? I had great respect for you, once. Surrender, Grindelwald, or you and all those who aid you will face the same fate as the Goblins"

Grindelwald laughed. "Oh. Voldemort. Tom, I should say. Similarities? We are nothing alike"

"You did as-"

"Yes, yes," Grindelwald said in a bored tone, waving one of Phillip's arms flippantly. "I killed. I tortured, I subjugated. But do you know our greatest difference?"

"That you are weak" Voldemort hissed, "and like all the weak, you shall perish"

"Everything I did, was for a cause. At first, at least. I believed in it, so strongly that I did things I found repugnant. You, however, have never desired anything but your own power. Have you?"

"You miserable, Muggle-loving wretch, you disgrace the Magics you wield, the power you hold-"

"We have nothing in common" Grindelwald continued, ignoring Voldemort's outbursts, "save that we both have committed atrocities. No, Riddle. No. I will never ally with you. I will destroy you, and all that you hold dear"

"If death is your choice then I will deliver it to you gladly. You rejected my offer" Voldemort snarled, "And you will pay the price. You, and all who ally with you"

Grindelwald stood there calmly, Phillip's body not paling or shaking at the threat.

"Allow me to present a counteroffer. Deliver to me your Horcruxes. Give me Harry Potter. And once your safeguards are destroyed, face me in a duel. If you are truly-"

Voldemort's wand lashed out, and Phillip's body caught fire, burning to ash in seconds.

* * *

"Well," Grindelwald said, blinking and shaking his head slightly, "it would seem that Voldemort has a temper!"

The three present in the room laughed at that.

He looked around at them, letting his eyes rest on each one.

"How far would you be willing to go?" He asked quietly, his voice intent. "To achieve your revenge? To destroy this monster?"

Patil answered first, as she twisted her sister's bracelet around her wrist.

"Anything. I'd do anything"

The Weasleys nodded their assent, murmuring "Anything"

"Will you? Will you sink to his level? Will you do things that will leave their marks on you forever? Will you allow yourself to go down in history as a monster?"

"Whatever it takes"

He grimaced.

"Very well. Here is what I want you to do"

And as he spoke, they listened, their faces set.

They would do whatever he asked of them.

Anything.

 **AS ALWAYS: REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW**

 **IM NOT VERY PLEASED WITH THIS CHAPTER, BUT WHAT CAN YOU DO, RIGHT?**

 **IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY, YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT THE ONE-SHOT I POSTED: IN HER IMAGE.**


	4. Interlude I

**AN: I OWN NOTHING**

 **PLEASE REVIEW/P.M. ME**

 **ENJOY!**

Interlude I

" **Nite-Owl II** : Rorschach...? Rorschach, wait! Where are you going? This is too big to be hard-assed about! We have to compromise!

 **Rorschach** : No. Not even in the face of Armageddon. Never compromise."—Allan Moore-Watchmen

"Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt."—Sun Tzu—The Art of War

* * *

 _Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Woolworth Building, New York City_

Margaret Flume, President of the Magical Congress of the United States of America strode into the boardroom, letting the thick doors slam closed behind her.

"Jeffrey!" She called out, making him look up from his notes, "any news from South America?"

He shook his head.

"Fuck!" She snarled. "No more from Castelobruxo?"

"Nothing new. They're in lockdown, but they're taking in the families of their students. That's all"

She collapsed into an armchair, and raising a glass to her lips, examined the man sitting opposite her.

Jeffrey Hilcomb. The lines on his face and the graying hair near his temples told a story of his last thirty years as head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. During that time, she'd worked closely with him. She'd never seen him falter, never seen him truly worry.

Not until this crisis, at least.

' _Then again. Not since the days of Alexander the Great has one man threatened us all so much. If he's even still a man'_

But there was something on Jeffrey's face now. Some unreadable expression, that filled her with a sense of worrisome foreboding.

' _Fuck. No. No'_

"Madam President," He said, sounding no different than he had during all the years, "Margaret. We-we need to talk"

Her eyes caught the seal emblazoned on the oak table. The seal of MACUSA. The seal of her government. The sign of freedom and democracy.

' _Will that be replaced with his skull and snake?'_

"I never would have pegged you as a traitor," she said, voice iron.

He winced at that, quite satisfactorily, she thought.

"It's not treason" he quickly said, "we're just-"

"Betraying everything that we hold dear"

Her eyes wandered to the bald eagle again.

"Listen! I've been speaking to the Aurors, to the hit-wizards. To the soldiers. We don't-we don't want to die for the No-Majs. Why should we? Why should we risk our lives for people who would just as quickly kill us if they knew about us?"

"So you would happily sit back for a genocide?" She spat.

He raised his hands beseechingly, arms spread wide.

"What else should we die? Fight? That's suicide! We can't stand against Europe and Asia, never mind the cartels that already sworn to him! We can't do it! The only way we possibly could, would be to bring in the No-Majs, and that's suicide! They'd turn on us, and you know it!"

There was so much she wanted to say back. But somehow, she couldn't find the words to say anything.

"Think about it! Please, Margaret! Everything we've done, everything the government ever did, has been to hide us from them. And why should we? Why should we hide anymore? Why must our children grow up in secrecy? Why can't we build these towering edifices wherever we wish?"

"Rappaport's Law-" she began, quickly being interrupted by Jeffrey as he stood up, waving his arms in agitation.

"Rappaport's Law was enough for the time, but it won't be for much longer. War is coming, Margaret. It's already here. And with their technology, we won't be able to keep it hidden. We will be discovered, and they will attack us. Remember the Trials? They'll start again, and they'll be a thousand times worse. We have no real choice. Please. Please. You've trusted me for over thirty years. We've led this nation for over thirty years. Trust me now. We have no real choice but to surrender"

The emblem drew her eyes again.

"What of democracy?" She whispered.

"It won't end. He-He'll have a veto say, and He'll have certain rules that will be non-negotiable, but we'll still have-"

She'd heard enough. Shaking her head, she spoke quietly, her voice gaining strength and volume as she went on. "No. No. We will not choose a tyrant for our people. No, Jeffrey. How could you? How could you expect this of me? To stand aside while he slaughters No-Majs like animals? To allow him free reign in our country? To allow him free reign amongst our people? No. No, Jeffrey. I say no. And I am still President, so-"

But he was slumping back in his chair, looking more desperate than ever she'd seen him.

"I told them. I told them I could make you see reason. I told them that it wouldn't come to this"

Her wand was out before his hand had reached into his jacket pocket.

"You will not. You will not place me under the Imperius. I wouldn't have thought it if you, but-"

"I'm not drawing my wand. I swear it. But there's something I need to show you"

His hand moved, extremely slowly.

And he pulled out a brown envelope.

"Look. Look, Margaret. Look, and make your choice"

She kept her wand trained on him. Her left hand trembled as it tore open the envelope.

And pulled out a series of glossy photographs. Taken using a No-Maj camera, obviously. The subjects weren't moving.

Her heart all but stopped.

"You fucking traitor bastard" she whispered, tears welling up as cold fury filled her.

"They'll be released after the surrender is formally declared. Margaret, they're fine. Bobby and McKenzie are fine, and the kids are as well"

She splayed the photos out toward him, the fear on her granddaughter's face evident.

"Is that what you call fine? Is it? Where-"

"Neither she nor her brother-"

"Say their names. Say their names. You know them. Say their names"

He swallowed thickly, Adam's apple moving.

"Jeffrey and Amanda are fine, and-"

"They named him for you. They named him for you, you son of a bitch. I trusted you-"

He suddenly shouted, slamming his fist on the table. "They're fine! They're fine, and unless you're stupid, they' going to stay that way! Now, think about it, Margaret-"

"Don't call me that. You lost that right"

He started walking out of the room.

"Madam President, then. Just-just think about it. We have no chance in a war, and our ideal goals barely differ from His"

"Has he Marked you yet? As his bitch? That's all you are, Jeffery. A traitorous bitch, and one day-"

His voice overrode hers, but she could see that her words had hurt him.

"I will be reporting back in an hour. No answer is equivalent to a no. They don't want to hear a no. Jeffrey and Amanda don't want you to give a no. And-and we could use you, to lead us through the transition"

The door slammed behind him, and she could hear it lock.

' _Fuck'_

She let out an anguished roar.

' _If there are traitors this high in the government. We've lost before we've even started. And Congress has been pushing for us to surrender for weeks already. How many of them are his? We've lost. We've lost before we've even started. We can't win this'  
_

She screamed again, trying to release her frustration and pain.

There was really only one option for her to take.

* * *

 _The Spiny Serpent, Knockturn Alley_

He walked up the staircase from the pub to the room above it, his arm bumping into the rails. His other arm curled into his body, clutching a bag full of groceries. He walked with heavy steps, his brutishly large form seeming unwieldy.

' _I really hate this bloody body'_

He walked through the dingy hallway, his bulky shoulders brushing up against the peeling paint. When he reached the room that he wanted, he knocked five times, in a precise pattern.

After a moment, the door opened.

He could see a wand pointed at him from the gloomy interior.

"Mimbulus Mimbeltonia"

The wand was withdrawn, and he hurried in.

"I had to take a second dose," he said before any questions could be asked. "Got a bit worried about the timing. But otherwise, went ok. No one really asked any questions"

"And?"

"And what?"

"Did you get the paper?"

"Of course. Bloody hell, Hermione, you'd think you can't trust me with anything"

Abruptly, her arms were thrown around him.

"Oh. Neville" she whispered, "you know I'd trust you with anything. Its just-things are a bit tense. Ron's a bit-upset"

"I can hear you, you know"

Neville turned to the third occupant in the room. Hermione's glamor and disguise charms really were great. No-one would recognize the chubby blonde guy as being Ron Weasley, or the redhead girl with the large nose as being Hermione Granger. And when the polyjuice wore off, no-one would be able to tell that he was Neville Longbottom.

"Ron?" He asked cautiously, "what's up, mate?"

"Another Patronus from dad. He's going out his fucking mind with worry. And it would just be so much better if we were actually doing something, but-"

"Oi! Mate, we got the Cup, and we took care of it. Now we just need to figure out-"

"Exactly!" Ron stood up and began pacing. "We need to figure out where the others are. But we have no fucking clue! They could be anywhere! And-and I'm in it, I'm with you guys, you know that. But it's just-just so much harder to ignore dad when it doesn't feel like we're doing anything!"

"Oh, Ron," Hermione said softly, putting her arms around him. "I know it's difficult. But we'll get through it. We just need some idea, some lead"

"I-I've been thinking," Neville said. "I think-I think we need to speak to a Death Eater"

Hermione stared him straight in the eyes. She understood what he meant, what he wasn't saying.

Ron, on the other hand, didn't.

"Yeah, well, the Veritaserum still has another two weeks to go, and none of us can really do that Legilemency thing, so-"

"I-I meant that-that we should-we should make them talk"

Neville swallowed heavily after his pronouncement.

' _If It has to be done, I'll do it. I'll do whatever it takes'_

"Neville," Hermione said gently, "I-I don't think we should-"

"No. He's right" Ron said suddenly. He was a bit greenish, but he plunged on. "Merlin, but he's right. Veritaserum can be blocked against. T-torture-"

"Can also, Ron! Neville, it won't-we can't-we can't sink to their level. We just-we can't-"

"We have to. We have to" He said thickly. "Ron's right. We're wandering around blind. We-for fuck's sake, Hermione, we have no clue. We have to do it. With the Veritaserum as well. Otherwise-otherwise it just-we can't know. We need an idea of where to go next-"

"Neville" her eyes focused on him, pleading. "Please. Remember how hard it was, with the Cup? And that-that was the Killing Curse, not the-the Cruciatus. And it wasn't on a person. Could-could you-"

He nodded slowly. "If I have to. I will. I'll do it, Hermione. I'll do anything"

She kept her eyes trained on his for a bit longer before looking at Ron.

"If-if we do this. We can't just-just obliviate them"

"No. We can't" Ron said grimly.

"Then we need to start planning. We'll-we'll have to pull this off perfectly. We'll need our questions planned out, everything"

Neville and Ron fell silent as Hermione's voice washed over them.

Dumbledore's words ran through his mind again.

' _Good hunting'_

* * *

 _Order of the Phoenix safe house, Bristol_

"So, he's said he wants us ready," Diggle said, "the next few days, and he wants us to act"

"Again. He wants Potter?" Kingsley asked, sounding as calm as ever.

"Aye. Dead or alive, but preferably alive. He wants him badly, and-"

Remus turned to face them with a snarl. The last few months had been terrible on him. Besides Harry's betrayal, besides Dumbledore's murder, besides even Tonks' capture. He hadn't had any Wolfsbane, and the combined stress of his current life was slowly making him more and more wolf-like every day.

His face was gaunt, his eyes shadowed deeper than ever before, his hair grayer. He was slowly losing control.

"We take him alive" he growled. "He-he might know where she is. He might, damnit!"

Dedalus and Kingsley shared a look. Kingsley gave his head a small shake, but Dedalus chose to ignore that.

"Remus," he said gently, "it's been months. Months, mate. You need to come to terms with it. That she's probably been-"

"What would you do, if it was your wife? Huh? If it was one of your kids? Would you give up?"

"I wouldn't," Dedalus said, surrendering.

"Then neither will I. We capture him alive. He's got a lot to answer for"

"Those Weasley twins sent us some gifts," Diggle said, opening his hand and revealing a few beads clutched within. "Little explosives. Based on runes, they said. Should come in handy"

Remus turned and punched the wall, muttering under his breath again.

"Kingsley?"

Kingsley tore his eyes away and looked at Dedalus.

"You-you're my Secret Keeper. What happens-what happens if you-if you-"

"If I die?"

Diggle nodded.

"The Fidelius breaks. It's one of the downsides to the spell. But I'll do my best to keep that from happening"

"Please do. Mary'd kill me if anything went wrong, after all my talk about protections"

Kingsley laughed, a deep chortle. "I'll certainly try harder. Wouldn't want your wife angry with me"

"No" Diggle muttered, standing up, "no, you really wouldn't. Bloody women, I tell you"

* * *

 _Villa Zabini_

"That," Blaise said, stretching out and kissing Theo on the back of the neck, "was fucking amazing"

Theo arched his back, pushing up against him.

Blaise stroked his lover, letting his fingers run along his entrance, letting them feel his own drying seed.

"You're the best, Theo, you know that" he carried on kissing his neck, raising his hand up and around, gently putting it into Theo's mouth, "I love you so much"

Theo released his finger with a popping sound. "Thanks" he muttered.

"Theo?" Blaise asked, suddenly alarmed, "What's wrong, babe? Was I-was I too rough?"

"Not at all. If anything, I want it rougher. It's-it's nothing"

Blaise pushed his boyfriend around, turning his body until they were staring each other in the eyes.

"Theo," He said warningly, "don't give me that. You've been acting out of it the last few days. Now tell me. What's wrong?"

Theo sat up, leaning against the headboard. He grabbed a pack of cigarettes from the bedside table and touched his wand to the end of one.

Pungent smoke filled the air as Blaise sat up and followed his example.

They sat there, smoking in silence for a few minutes.

"I walked in on Harry and Daphne the other day" Theo finally said.

"Really? So what, you realized you want to try a pussy out? We could arrange-"

"No. God, no. It was just-you remember that guy, at the ministry? The head of the Goblin Liaison Department?"

Blaise nodded.

"The Dark Lord gave him to them. And they've kept him. I mean, fuck. What they'd done to him"

Theo shivered. Absentmindedly, Blaise pulled the covers up over him, spellbound.

"He was chained to the wall opposite their bed. And they'd-they'd cut off his lips, and his ears, and his nose. And his-his whole body was fucking covered in cuts and burns and shit. Like, they really went to town on him"

"You walked in on them this week?"

"Yeah"

"Merlin" Blaise whispered reverently, "the ministry was almost two weeks ago"

"Exactly. And they've kept him since then. And he-they didn't notice me, they were really going at it. But-but he was screaming. They fucking had him under the Cruciatus while they were fucking"

"That's-that's pretty fucked up"

Theo nodded. "I've-I've seen a lot of messed up shit. I've-I've killed people. I've fought, against the ministry, against the Goblins. But I've never seen anything like that. Never"

Blaise stretched his arms around him, pulling him close.

"And-and the worst is. That-that a part of me was really, really turned on by it"

"That's not so bad," Blaise said, stroking his lover's body. His hand slowly making its way down. "I can kind of hear why. It's all about power, really. Total power"

"Ex-Exactly" Theo moaned, his breath coming quicker as his cock hardened in Blaise's hand.

"Maybe we should try it sometime?" Blaise whispered, his tongue lapping out into Theo's ear.

"Are we-are we monsters?" Theo asked, making Blaise stop his motions.

He cocked his head to the side, thinking about it. He'd certainly killed quite a few people in battle. And he'd tortured and murdered a muggle just to get in. And he'd helped perform the executions at the ministry.

Eventually, he shrugged and started kissing Theo's chest, his head making its way down.

"Maybe we are," He said, "but if so, we are fucking beautiful monsters"

* * *

 _10 Downing Street_

The Prime Minister sighed, his eyes flickering to the man sitting in the corner of his office.

Andrew, his name was. Andrew had barely spoken the last few weeks. He'd seemed nervous, keeping his hand on his wooden stick at all times, his eyes darting around.

He'd spent a lot of that time invisible, too. Just shadowing him, invisible. It was downright creepy.

But things weren't looking good. Up until a few weeks ago, he'd been receiving bi-weekly updates from the-the other minister or his envoys.

As terrible as it was, having that communication with a world ninety percent of his constituents did not, could not know existed, the sudden silence from that world was almost worse. A lot worse.

It was outright damning.

He'd begun worrying, in fact, that the lunatic had managed to take control.

But then, tonight, that accursed painting had finally broken its silence with its usual cough.

"The Minister's envoy will be here in ten minutes" it had said.

He glanced at his watch, noticing Andrew doing the same thing.

About a minute to go. These people were generally quite punctual.

"Be-be on your guard, Minister"

He looked up, startled.

Andrew stared at him intently, hand on his-on his wand.

"I've been out of the loop for a while now. And I've got a funny feeling. Just-just be wary"

And then the fireplace lit up green, and a young man swirled out of it.

He had a single, startled moment where he realized that this was not the usual envoy. This scarred, black-haired and green-eyed boy, and he was no more than a boy, was not someone he had seen before.

One single moment of peace, before all hell broke loose.

"You!" Andrew shouted, drawing his wand.

But the newcomer was quicker. He shouted some nonsense phrase and slashed his own wand and Andrew-

Andrew's stomach split open, pale flesh being revealed under his clothes for an instant before his innards came tumbling out.

The Prime Minister stared, shocked at the gore before him.

And the green-eyed boy laughed, a high pitched, cruel sound.

"Well. That was fun"

He snatched at the gun that was taped to the bottom of his desk, and only had time to raise it before it was blown out of his hands.

He stared at the boy.

"That's not very nice," the boy said with a giggle. "Not at all"

"Who-who are you?" He whispered.

The boy's grin grew, and he stroked the long scar that ran across his face.

"Me? I'm Harry Potter. Crucio!"

Pain. Pain like nothing he had ever imagined was even possible. He was screaming, he knew it. He was lying on the floor of his office, one of the most powerful men in the nation, screaming as he pissed himself.

And he didn't care at all. All he could think of was a burning desire screamed out by every cell in his body for the pain to end.

Eventually, it did. He lay there, shaking on the carpet, the stench of his vomit sinking into his nose.

"Wh-what a-a-are you?"

He heard the boy's laughter, the grinning demon giggling as he drew nearer.

"I'm your master. Imperio!"

And blissfully, there was nothing in his mind but peace.

* * *

 _Highgate Cemetery_

The mist was rising, curling around the waists of the kneeling captives.

His warriors stood ready, just waiting for the signal.

' _Let us see how far they are truly willing to go'_

"Begin the chant"

They obeyed the words of languages long dead spilling from their lips and echoing into the night.

Into the air of one of the largest cemeteries in England. Not the largest one, no. He had plans for that one. This place though, this would serve well enough for now.

Albus' words echoed in his mind.

' _And I feel certain, I fear, that you will be capable of raising an army'_

And again, in his letter.

' _Raise an army. Raise them'_

And he would.

He would show the world what he was capable of.

This, what he was about to do, was almost as great a perversion as the creation of a Horcrux. Almost. To steal the bodies of the dead, to create the abominations that they would become.

Not to mention the sacrifices required.

One of the captives, the girl in front of Patil, seemed to realize what was about to happen. She couldn't speak, of course. The silencing charms prevented the sacrifices from interfering with the ritual.

But her rictus of terror, the way her body shook with silent sobs. Those spoke more than mere words could ever.

He gave a curt nod, and the twin on the far left began.

His silver sickle flashed, as it sliced the throat of the kneeling boy before him.

Grindelwald moved quickly, catching the flowing blood in a large crystal goblet.

He was pleased to see that the Weasley did not seem fazed by what he had done. His face stayed almost blank, only a small snarl crossing his lips for an instant.

Even though they were merely Slytherins, and surely would eventually prove to be Death Eaters in training, he had been afraid that his warriors would balk at sacrificing their schoolmates.

Once the first sacrifice was done, the next twin repeated his brother's action, also showing no emotion.

Then it was Patil's turn. She paused for a moment, her sickle against the kneeling girl's throat.

"I'm sorry, Tracey. I'm sorry" she whispered.

And she too, slit her sacrifice's throat.

He gave the goblet to the eldest twin to hold, while he went to claim the final ingredient.

The chanting began again behind him, in a lower pitch, and faster.

He bent to the final captive.

Gibbons, his name was. He had screamed it out over and over again during his questioning since he had been captured during the battle at Hogwarts.

He was an extremely low ranking Death Eater, barely more than muscle. He had imparted no useful information. But he had been a valuable assistant when it came to teaching his warriors interrogation techniques and other such spells.

And he would come in very handy now.

The Elder Wand flashed, humming its joy as it was used.

Gibbons' chest split open, blood squirting out.

The man's eyes widened, and he clearly tried to scream, but no sound emerged.

The Wand flashed again, and his rib cage shattered outward, bones sticking out like spikes.

Gellert reached in and tore out his still-beating heart.

As it still frantically pumped out its last droplets, he dropped it into the steaming goblet.

He withdrew a small glass vial from his pocket and emptied the Thestral's saliva into the goblet.

He sliced a long cut open in his palm and allowed it to freely bleed into the mixture.

As the chanting reached a fever-pitch, their words seeming to curl around the mist, he took the goblet back from the twin, and with a flowing movement, cast its contents into the air.

The blackish red mixture hovered in mid-air for a second, as the Elder Wand flashed again.

A single lightning bolt, of a black so deep it seemed to suck all surrounding light into itself struck the bloody mixture.

And then split into a thousand, ten thousand separate bolts, each one finding a grave and earthing itself.

For a minute, there was no sound other than that of the wind rustling through the trees.

And then the ground began to rumble.

It shook, as every corpse that had not yet faded to dust regained flesh, and began to escape their graves.

Right before him, a graying, rotten hand punched its way out of the cold earth.

Gellert Grindelwald laughed, and the Weasley Twins and Padma Patil laughed with him, as around the cemetery, ten thousand Inferi began to rise.

 **YES, I HAVE CHANGED SOME OF THE MECHANICS OF THE FIDELIUS CHARM. NO, IT DIDN'T WORK THAT WAY IN CANON.**

 **AS ALWAYS: REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW**


	5. Chapter 4

**AN: I OWN NOTHING**

 **PLEASE REVIEW/P.M. ME**

 **ENJOY!**

Chapter 4

"What has Horatio reported?"

Harry settled back into his armchair, thinking of the strange, stilted conversation that he'd had with Horatio over the mirror.

Things at Hogwarts didn't seem to be too good, no. Horatio had been utterly terrified of being caught, and even cloistered as he was in the Room of Hidden Things, blanketed under layers of concealment spells, he'd been nervous. Very, very nervous.

No, things at Hogwarts didn't seem to be too good at all.

"Most of his news is very troubling, my lord," he said, swallowing. "Grindelwald is still the Defence Professor, and he's apparently been teaching with a major focus on offensive magic. He's building an army out of Hogwarts, my lord"

"Is he? And the other professors are perfectly fine with that?"

"Horatio says that they're not, not really. But there is a heavy atmosphere of fear. Apparently, the Slytherin students have it the worst. Gr-Grindelwald, he believes that they all are ours"

"Were it only so" the Dark Lord murmured.

"He-he encourages the students to be on the watch for any sign of allegiance to us. To spy on their fellows"

Voldemort laughed, lightly tapping the arms of his throne. "And that will achieve nothing other than pushing those Slytherins still there closer toward us. Interesting. I had not thought Grindelwald to be such a blind fool"

"He-Horatio says, that there's a group that Grindelwald teaches privately. Thirty or so students. All very dedicated to him. All becoming increasingly violent and belligerent. He believes that they are being taught the Dark Arts"

"He has not joined them?"

Harry shook his head. "Rumors claim, that everyone who wants to join is tested with Veritaserum and legilemency. And that they are made to swear an Unbreakable Vow, that they have never sworn their service to you, and never will"

"I see. What else has he to say?"

"That-that there seems to be another group. Much smaller. Only three students. But they are absolutely dedicated to Grindelwald. And Horatio is terrified of them"

"Did he say who they are?"

"The Weasley Twins, and Padma Patil, my lord. Her sister fought against us in the battle at Hogwarts. She died"

"And one of the Weasleys' brothers was made into an example at the ministry. Interesting. What else?"

"The security has apparently been upgraded. They've redone many of the wards, and have even extended wards around Hogsmeade, as an early warning system. There still is a team of Aurors there, that were assigned before the ministry fell, as well as some members of the Order of the Phoenix. Between them, the professors, and some of Grindelwald's trusted students, the castle is being patrolled at all time. Furthermore, they've supposedly made deals with a lot of the creatures in the forest. Horatio says that he's seen a herd of centaurs patrolling the grounds with their bows at the ready"

The Dark Lord motioned for him to continue.

"They haven't found the Room of Hidden Things. They still don't know how we managed to get in. But if we used the Cabinet for a surprise attack, we would be discovered much quicker than last time. He says that there've been new portraits added all over the school and that he's seen the suits of armor walking around on a frequent basis. The ghosts, as well, seem to be on high alert"

"Interesting"

"And-and he says he's sure that some of the Slytherin students have been disappearing. He says that a few days ago, three of them just vanished"

The Dark Lord went absolutely still, His eyes burning.

"Vanished?"

"So-so he says, my lord"

"Grindelwald has just proven himself to be a far greater threat" He murmured, still staring into space, "if he is using them as sacrifices...he must be dealt with. We will have to approach this very carefully. Very well. What of the Gryffindors? Has he any ideas about which of them are not present?"

"He-he wasn't completely sure of his list, my lord. He was never exactly friendly with them. But he's certain of a few"

"Tell me"

Harry started listing off the names, only to be interrupted suddenly.

"Longbottom. Longbottom"

The Dark Lord had gone absolutely still again.

"Longbottom"

"Y-yes, my lord. Longbottom isn't there, and neither are his two closest friends. Weasley and Granger"

"Two blood traitors and a mudblood" Voldemort snarled. "Dumbledore. You-"

He breathed deeply, shutting His eyes.

"It is them. Find them. What leverage can we get on them?"

"W-Weasley has a large family, and-and Longbottom has a girlfriend. And his grandmother. Granger-I don't know, my lord, but her parents are dentists"

"Longbottom's girlfriend. Who is she?"

"L-Luna Lovegood. Her mother's dead and her father runs the Quibbler."

Voldemort waved a hand as if to brush away a fly.

"She is a student at Hogwarts?"

"She is, my lord"

"And the Weasley girl is as well" He mused, opening His eyes and staring straight ahead for a moment before focusing on Harry.

"Their winter break is in one month. I want it ensured that the Lovegood and Weasley girls return to their homes for it. We will take them, as well as the muggles and the Longbottom woman then. I want nothing that could alert them beforehand"

"I-it will be done, my lord"

' _How the fuck am I meant to arrange that?'_

"Perhaps," the Dark Lord said, as if sensing Harry's thoughts, "the families should be Imperius'd and then obliviated. Just to ensure that their children return"

"I-I'll arrange it, my lord. I'll have Blaise and Theo on it immediately"

"Good. And once their families are taken, I want a manhunt announced. With a suitably large reward offered"

"I-if I may ask, my lord. What makes you so certain that it is those three?"

Voldemort's crimson gaze pierced him.

"There were two possible candidates for the subject of the prophecy regarding my enemy. You were one. Longbottom was the other. Dumbledore would have desired my downfall to be at the hands of my prophesied enemy. And even he was not fool enough to realize that you were not that"

"I-Longbottom? But he's-he's useless!"

"Indeed. I chose the likelier of the two when you were both infants. Even then, I sensed your potential"

At the Dark Lord's gesture, Harry rose, and begin leaving the room.

"Send in Draco and Ian. And be wary. Grindelwald's plans are surely afoot"

* * *

He was relaxing on a couch in the lounge, Daphne's head in his lap, when Andrea walked in, looking absolutely shell-shocked.

"Andrea?" He asked as Daphne sat up, "are you-are you alright?"

She just looked at him and nodded, biting her lip.

"Uh," he patted the couch. "Why don't you come to sit down?"

She walked listlessly to the couch and sat down, with a strange smile suddenly spreading across her face.

"What's up?"

"I-I did it" she answered breathlessly. "I finally did it"

"You killed him?"

She just giggled.

"Well done! Damn, how was it?"

Her giggling cut off abruptly, and she looked down. "It was-it was good. It was good"

Daphne put her arm around the trembling girl. "What did your mum do? Afterward, I mean?" She asked gently.

"She-she-the blood traitor bitch, she tried to attack me! And I-I was just protecting her! So I had to-I had to-I had to kill her too"

And she was laughing again, laughing until tears rolled down her face.

Daphne patted her on the back softly, while looking over at Harry with a helpless expression.

He just shrugged.

Right then, Bellatrix walked into the room, looking absolutely furious and snarling to herself.

"Have you seen Sharptooth?" She snapped.

"Nope. What do you want with him anyway?"

"Capella tried to kill herself again!"

"Ok? And so you need Sharptooth?"

Bella looked at him like he was an absolute idiot.

"She needs to be punished. Letting a wolf play with her should be good enough. If that little cunt knows what's good for her, she'll learn that lesson"

She stopped mid-rant and gestured toward Andrea. "What's wrong with her?"

"She just pruned her family tree a little. I think she's feeling a bit shocked about it all"

Bellatrix bounded forward, clapping her hands joyously.

"Oh, you did? That's wonderful! Andrea, dear, that's so exciting!"

The lunatic pulled Andrea into a tight hug and kissed her on the cheek.

"That's so amazing! I'm so proud of you!"

"Thanks," Andrea said, muffled by Bella's chest.

"Really! Now, I need to find Sharptooth. But we can celebrate later. You can come to play with Capella. Harry and Daphne" she said, staring at Harry, "have been brushing me off for months now. You have to come. She needs a good push"

Harry nodded slowly. "Fine. Just give it a few days, ok?"

Bellatrix just ignored him and stalked out of the room, growling to herself.

Before Harry even had a chance to say anything, someone else ran into the room. One of the Russian Death Eaters, and looking as freaked out as Andrea had.

He stopped when he saw the three sitting on the couch, and looked at Harry, eyes wide.

"Where-where is our Lord?"

"He's in His study," he said, standing up. "What's going on?"

The Russian stared at him, mouth working soundlessly for a moment.

Dimly, Harry heard the front door banging open and hurried footsteps as someone else ran into the Manor.

"Inferi" the Russian finally said. "Thousands of them. Attacking us"

* * *

"Report" Voldemort ordered.

"The attack seems to be focused on three main locations," Rookwood said, his voice raspy. "From what our operatives have told us, there are thousands of Inferi attacking at Diagon and Knockturn, the Ministry, and our stronghold in York. Additionally, it seems that there are wizards and witches attacking our forces in Liverpool"

"Thousands of Inferi in each location?"

"So it seems. The ministry is in danger of being overrun"

"Rookwood, Severus, Bellatrix. Take ten or so of the Russians and French, and deal with the Inferi in York. Once that is done, give aid to our fellows in Liverpool"

The trio left, grabbing a few of the foreigners as they went.

"Harry. Take Daphne, both Notts, Zabini, the Crabbes, the Goyles, Alaine, and a group of the Russians and French. Go to Diagon and Knockturn. When the Inferi there have been dealt with, join our fellows in Liverpool"

Harry stood up, along with the rest who had been named.

"Everyone else. Go to Liverpool. I will handle the ministry. Go. Now!"

They all fled the study.

* * *

They arrived in Diagon to a scene out of a nightmare.

Bodies lay all over the cobbled street, as hundreds of small fires merrily blazed. Blood and viscera dotted the bricks of the recently rebuilt shops and homes, and throughout it all, thousands of Inferi shambled.

Easily two or three thousand of them, they practically packed the entire alley, the stench of their rotting flesh carrying on the wind.

Crabbe vomited, and his father clapped him on the back and whispered something to him.

"Ok," Harry said, his voice sounding shaky. "Let's do it. Fire spells, everyone. Keep them away from me."

The horde started making its way toward them, and Harry waved his wand.

"Fiendfyre"

As the monsters roared their way out of his wand, he devoted his mind to them, focusing all his concentration on the cursed flame.

He ignored the little ball of thoughts and feelings in the back of his mind that was the muggle minister and commanded the fiery creatures to attack the Inferi.

' _This is quickly becoming my favorite spell'_

Dimly, he noticed spells and curses flying from around him, jets of light exploding into flaming tornadoes as they reached the Inferi.

But he was focused on the battle in his mind, as the manticores and basilisks fought him for control.

He gritted his teeth, sweat dripping into his eyes, and slammed his will against theirs.

And won.

His beasts pounced, burning the reanimated corpses into ash where they stood, the fiendfyre cutting through the very magic that gave these monstrosities their semblance of life.

Engaged as he was in the battle of wills, he didn't notice any time passing. After what could have been seconds, or could have been hours, he became aware of someone calling his name.

He ended the spell, pulling the life out of his animals, fighting one Sphinx, in particular, the entire way.

He lowered his wand, his arm feeling like lead.

There was nothing living left in front of him.

"What?" He asked, ears ringing.

"You ok?"

"Yeah. Just-tired"

Theo's dad clasped his shoulder. "I'll take the fiendfyre at Knockturn"

"Sounds good," he said, voice wavering. "We'll still need to walk through the alleys. Afterward. To make sure that-that there's none left"

"Right you are. Let's get going, shall we?"

"Yeah. To Knockturn!"

* * *

Theo's dad had a pretty good control over his fiendfyre.

It was different, not being the one in the front of the group. He stood a few feet behind Thaddeus, shoulder to shoulder with Daphne, firing spells around Thaddeus.

There weren't as many Inferi here as there had been in Diagon. Either the denizens of Knockturn had been better at fighting them off, or simply fewer had gone there in the first place.

It didn't matter. It just made things a bit calmer for the group of Death Eaters.

It also gave Harry a chance to observe some of his friends. Crabbe and Goyle each stood next to their fathers, shooting off nothing more complicated than an Incendio.

They had been acting really weird around Harry since their fathers had brought them to swear to the Dark Lord. Since they realized what his position was in the Death Eaters.

' _Maybe this will ease their tension a bit'_

It didn't take too long until there were no more Inferi advancing through the smoke.

Theo called his dad, and he ended the curse.

"Great! Let's go through the alleys. Then we'll head to Liverpool"

"Shouldn't we get heading there now?" Someone asked, in a heavy French accent.

"No" Harry answered with a sigh, internally bemoaning his fate. He had clearly been cursed to deal with idiots all the time. "We were told to deal with the Inferi here. Which means we do it. And we do it properly. Now, let's go"

They walked through the alleys, hunting down the few Inferi that had survived.

There weren't many. And those that were left were quickly burnt or blown to bits.

"Ok. Let's get to our Liverpool base. Anyone here who hasn't been there before?"

Predictably enough, Crabbe and Goyle both raised their hands.

Other than them, it was only a few foreigners who hadn't been.

"Those of you who haven't, you should side-along with someone who had. Let's go"

With a crack, he disapparated, followed by the rest of them.

* * *

The Liverpool manor was a madhouse. The few Death Eaters there were injured, with one healer working on them.

It didn't take long for them to get to Liverpool's small street of magical shops. It was nothing major, just a robe shop, an apothecary, a closed branch of Gringotts, and one or two other random stores.

The Dark Lord was already there, standing in front of a large crowd of kneeling people. At least sixty or seventy of them.

It wasn't just those who had been fighting, clearly. Harry could see people ranging from mothers with babies clutched to their chests, to elderly wizards, one looking so old that he was frankly surprised that he was still alive.

The crowd huddled in front of the Dark Lord, whimpering and weeping.

Not a sound emerged from them.

Behind Voldemort, the Death Eaters stood.

It began to rain, a soft drizzle blanketing them all.

"Tonight," the Dark Lord said, his voice cracking like a whip, "you will learn the price for disobedience. I have been kind. I have offered you all a chance to live and to contribute to the new world. You rejected my offer, casting it back into my face. I warned you all. All of you knew what the cost would be when you raised your wands against my followers"

The wind howled, the only noise breaking the silence.

"Crucify the fighters. And then burn the rest"

Harry smiled, and as he advanced on the terrified crowd with the rest of the Death Eaters, he began to giggle.

* * *

"I am told you performed well yesterday. It is good, for the common follower to have a chance to see you lead."

"Thank you, my lord"

He rubbed the back of his neck, catching a whiff of burnt pork as he did so.

The Dark Lord had removed the silencing spells once the punishments had well and truly begun.

And they had screamed so excellently.

"Take a few of your fellows. Daphne, Nott, Zabini. Perhaps Crabbe and Goyle as well. They would benefit from taking part in an operation, would they not?"

"I think they would. Since yesterday, they've both seemed a lot more...lively, I would say"

"Good. Take them as well. I'm sending out teams to examine the large muggle cemeteries. If Grindelwald wishes to turn this into a war of Inferi, then I will gladly oblige. Go to the Brookwood cemetery. I want to know if Grindelwald drew his horde from there. If Grindelwald is there, do not engage. Leave immediately"

"Gladly, my lord. Will-will you show me, my lord? How to raise Inferi?"

Voldemort smirked.

* * *

A loud series of cracks split the air outside the fence of Brookwood Cemetery.

A group of people formed from nothingness. Some of them immediately turned, scanning their surroundings, holding lengths of wood menacingly.

None of them saw the man across the road.

It wasn't very surprising. After all, he was under an invisibility cloak.

The group was obviously satisfied with what they saw, or in fact, didn't see. They made their way through the gates, into the enormous necropolis.

As they did so, Bill Weasley raised his wand, hidden from sight.

"Expecto Patronum" he whispered.

A silver mongoose appeared.

"Go to Kingsley Shacklebolt," he told it, "tell him Harry Potter is at Brookwood with some friends"

* * *

"Doesn't look like they came from here" Theo said, looking around.

The cemetery looked peaceful. Calm, quiet. The graves were smooth and closed.

The trees rustled soothingly in the wind.

"No. Probably not from here"

"How did he manage to transport them? Without muggles seeing?"

Harry shrugged.

They all turned at the tell-tale cracks of apparation.

Harry had less than a second to gape, shocked, at the intruders.

At Lupin, Shacklebolt, Diggle, and someone who was clearly a Weasley.

Less than a second, and then the battle was on.

Lupin snarled out something and leaped toward Harry, his wand flashing in midair.

He acted instinctively, throwing up a stone shield and blasting it forward into the spell.

"Kill them!" He shouted, spurring the rest of his friends into action.

Shouted curses, threats, and insults filled the air.

Harry was locked into a duel with Lupin, and he was having a hard enough time just deflecting and blocking the spells the wolf kept sending at him, as he advanced, snarling and growling with his teeth showing. He wasn't even close to landing a curse on Lupin. As good a fighter as he was, it was quickly becoming apparent to him that he was outclassed. That if this fight went on much longer, he'd die at the wolf's hand.

"Lupin, back!"

Lupin jumped a good ten meters backward at Shacklebolt's shout.

Immediately, Harry sent a killing curse, followed by an earthquake hex.

Lupin managed to pull a tombstone in the way of the killing curse, but the earthquake spell hit him.

And then, Shacklebolt shouted again.

"Now, Diggle! Now!"

As if in slow-motion, Harry saw Dedalus Diggle reach into the pocket of his robes with one hand, still not letting up on his assault on Blaise.

The short wizard's hand slowly withdrew, and he threw three beads into the air, shouting something Harry couldn't really make out.

He didn't have time to throw up a shield before they exploded, throwing him back hard enough that he knocked a tombstone over.

He lay there for a second, his head spinning, his ears ringing, his back all scratched and torn up.

He heard someone scream.

' _Daphne!'_

And as he went to get up, Diggle shouted again.

Everything went black.

 **SORRY FOR THE CLIFFIE.**

 **AS ALWAYS: REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW**


	6. Chapter 5

**AN: I OWN NOTHING**

 **PLEASE REVIEW/P.M. ME**

 **ENJOY!**

Chapter 5

"Do any of us, except in our dreams, truly expect to be reunited with our hearts' deepest loves, even when they leave us only for minutes, and on the most mundane of errands? No, not at all. Each time they go from our sight we in our secret hearts count them as dead. Having been given so much, we reason, how could we expect not to be brought as low as Lucifer for the staggering presumption of our love?" –Stephen King-The Dark Tower

"And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all."—Edgar Allen Poe—The Masque of the Red Death

"Control the things you can control, maggot. Let everything else take a flying fuck at you and if you must go down, go down with your guns blazing."—Stephen King-The Drawing of the Three

* * *

Harry woke up to voices around him.

The voices were familiar, but the faces and names associated with them hovered just beyond his capability to think.

His head pounded like someone had been beating him with an iron pole.

' _Where am I? What the fuck happened?'_

"Remus, you can't keep him here too long! Grindelwald wants him, and-"

He heard growling.

"Shut. Up. Diggle. Grindelwald can have him in a few hours"

' _Remus? Diggle? Grindelwald? What the fuck is going on?'_

He didn't open his eyes. He kept them shut, trying to figure out what had happened and who these people were.

He seemed to be sitting on a chair. Metal, by the feel of it.

There was a tight rope around his chest, and another around his wrists.

"Back me up here, Kings. Tell him-tell him I'm right"

' _Kings?'_

A deep baritone filled the room.

"I think Grindelwald can wait a few hours, Dedalus. He's going to be getting Harry alive, along with his wand. In the meantime, Harry can at least answer some questions for us"

' _Kings. Kingsley. Lupin. Diggle. Oh, fuck!'_

Memories flooded him. He opened his eyes, not flinching at the sudden influx of bright light.

' _Daphne!'_

The trio in front of him stopped their argument, their faces turning to him at his sign of life.

He was in some sort of stone room, large boulders fitting together neatly and forming a wall.

Kingsley was sitting on a chair in front of a table with a wand on it. A few meters to his right, Lupin stood, looking haggard as fuck.

Diggle stood next to the door a bit away from the wolf.

The details flickered through Harry's mind as he focused on Diggle, eyes narrowing.

"You," He said, his voice coming out slurred, "you fucker"

Diggle ignored him, instead just looking at Kingsley and saying: "I'm heading home. Don't keep him too long. And tell the twins thanks for those beads. Tell them how well they worked"

"Yeah. Send Mary my best"

"Will do"

Harry cleared his throat and tried again.

"I'm going to fucking destroy you, Diggle"

Dedalus tipped his hat forward mockingly, and with a crack, was gone.

"Now, Harry," Kingsley said, "let's have a chat, shall we?"

"How long do you think you can keep me here?" He asked sardonically, looking down at his arm, "do you honestly think the Dark Lord can't find me?"

"Actually, I don't think he can. If he could somehow find you through these wards, the Fidelius would still keep him out"

A Fidelius. That gave Harry pause. Even the Dark Lord couldn't blast his way through that.

"Now. What are Voldemort's plans?"

Harry stared at Kingsley incredulously for a moment before he burst out laughing.

"You-you actually expect me to tell you? You really think I'll do that? Just betray my lord like that?"

A fresh gale of laughter took him, and he shook with mirth, the rope rubbing against his chest.

"Why not? You've shown no compunctions about betrayal before"

Lupin stood in the corner, growling softly.

"Betrayal? You think I betrayed you people? No, Shacklebolt. You and the wolf can go fuck yourselves, along with everyone else who stands against us. You all betrayed me!"

He leaned back in his chair, sitting in it as if it was a throne.

"How could you?" Lupin finally said, the words coming out twisted and clipped. "Betray your parents' memories? Betray Sirius?"

In the back of Harry's mind, a plan began to form.

' _Get him angry. Make him too angry to think. It might work if there's only one of them. If there's two, I'm fucked'  
_

He ignored the fact that if it didn't work, he'd get handed over to Grindelwald like a trussed turkey. He ignored the fact that the chances of his mad plan working were extremely low.

Instead, he grinned.

"Oh, it was fucking easy. And you should have seen the dog's face, wolf. He was so shocked when I killed him. I wonder what you'll look like"

Furious pain twisted Lupin's face.

"How long have you been a Death Eater for?"

"Now, why should I answer anything you want?" He said, still grinning at Lupin, "Do you think I'm afraid of you? Is that it?"

Lupin snarled, baring his teeth.

And drew his wand.

"Don't make me do this"

"Do it, wolf. Let's see what you're capable of"

"Where. Is. She?" Lupin asked, his knuckles whitening around his wand.

"Remus" Kingsley said, in a warning tone.

"Where?" Lupin repeated, in a whisper.

Harry grinned as widely as he could, and as insolently as he was capable of being, said: "who?"

Lupin slapped him with a shout, his long nails drawing furrows down Harry's cheek.

He laughed.

"Is that the best you can do? One of these days, wolf, I'm gonna show you how it's done"

"Great plans, for someone tied to a chair," Shacklebolt said mildly, as Lupin paced, breathing deeply to himself.

Shacklebolt appeared mild, at least. But Harry could see his nervous glances toward the wolf.

"You know! Where is Tonks?"

Again, Harry grinned, and repeated "who?"

"Crucio!"

Harry shook with it, with the glorious torment.

It was nowhere near as bad as Bella's had been.

It receded after a very short time, and through the ringing in his ears, Harry made out Shacklebolt shouting something at Lupin.

He pushed the words out, through his burning throat "Not very good, not at all. I think you need more practice"

Lupin bared his teeth. "I'm going to practice plenty right now. Where. Is. Tonks?"

Harry forced himself to laugh, to ignore the aches in his muscles.

"Tonks? I don't know anyone by that name"

Lupin raised his wand again with a growled curse.

And again, Harry was filled with pain.

Every cell screaming in a beautiful chorus of ecstatic agony.

He joined his voice to theirs.

Lupin slapped him again, on the other side of the face this time.

' _More scars'_ he thought deliriously, as blood began to seep down his face.

But the slap had helped clear his mind from the Cruciatus' after effects.

' _Make him angry. Get him out of this room. Then I can start'_

He laughed again, his ribs hurting with the effort of it.

"Getting better, I'll give you that"

"Where-"

"I told you. I don't know a Nymphadora Tonks. But I do know a woman who used to think she was Nymphadora Tonks"

Lupin's mouth hung open, and his eyes took on an amber sheen.

"Used to think she was...?"

He giggled.

"Well, Capella Black's her name. Bella's been teaching her, you see. Training her. You should hear her. Hear her scream"

"What've you done to her?" Lupin whispered.

"Oh, wolf. There aren't words for what we've done to her. Bella's had her for months, wolf. Months. Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep someone that long with breaking them?"

Lupin looked like he wanted to vomit. His whole body was shaking.

And his eyes were steadily growing more and more orange.

Harry just went on.

"You should see her. So beautiful. She's not allowed clothes, you know. Chained to the wall. No bed. And Bella plays with her almost all day. She doesn't even think of herself as human anymore, wolf. She's begun to accept it. That she's nothing more than Bella's toy"

Kingsley stood up suddenly and placed a hand on Lupin's shoulder.

"Remus, come, I think-"

"Shut up," Lupin said, staring straight at Harry, his wand shaking in his hand. "Shut up"

"And she's so close" Harry continued, "so close to just accepting that she's Capella now. Then she'll do whatever Bella wants from her. You've been helping with this all, actually"

Lupin's arm suddenly fell like a weight. "M-me?"

"So much. You see, when I was living at your Order headquarters, I collected some of your hair"

He saw it when the realization flashed across Lupin's face in a furious wave.

He went on, heedless of the wand being raised toward him.

"You should hear her when she thinks you're torturing her. When you tell her how much she disgusts you, how weak and sickening she is. It's so funny, she-"

"Crucio!"

This time, the pain was total.

Every inch of him in utter, horrific agony.

He screamed, biting deeply into his tongue and then spraying out blood.

"Remus! Stop!"

"You hear him! How-how can you just listen to this!"

"Remus, get out of this room. Just-just don't be in here. Well take him to Grindelwald soon, and-"

"I want to know more! Where is she?"

"He's not gonna tell us!"

"We can make him!"

Harry watched this through twitching eyes, the rope scratching him as he rubbed against it with his tremors.

Blood dropped off of his chin, adding to the growing pool spreading over his chest.

The scratches on his face stung.

"But," He said, drawing them out of their argument, "she hates you now. She doesn't want to see you anymore. You hurt her too much. It's fine though. Bella's given her a replacement wolf. You know Sharptooth? He's playing with her. He likes to fuck her in the-"

Lupin leaped onto him, his claws scratching right through Harry's robes, cutting into his chest.

' _Oh. Fuck'_

Luckily, Kingsley was there, and he didn't let Harry get eaten by the wolf.

There was a loud bang, and Lupin flew off of Harry, flying right into the wall.

"Remus" Kingsley said, voice cold and hard. "Out. At least to the other room"

"I-"

"Now!"

Lupin slunk off, slamming the door behind him hard enough for it to shake in its hinges.

' _And now. We begin. Please. Please. Please. Let this work'_

He began to concentrate as hard as he could.

Voldemort had spoken with great contempt about wandless magic. He'd called it a fool's errand, one that required an enormous amount of effort for even the simplest tasks.

But He had been insistent that Harry learn, at the very least, how to summon his wand wandlessly.

' _As useless as wandless magic is, as incapable of complex tasks as it may be, if you are disarmed, you will at least be able to gain your weapon again'_

So he began to think, focusing on the feel of a summoning spell, remembering time after time when he had successfully used it.

He focused his will, his desire for nothing other than his wand to fly to him from the table.

It was a lot harder than it had been, practicing in the study of Malfoy Manor or in his room.

He'd never tried it before with blood running down his face and chest, with his body still shaking with the ecstatic remembered pain of the Cruciatus.

Or with Kingsley insistently asking him question after question.

"How long have you been a Death Eater?"

"Summer after the second year," Harry said, absentmindedly, but not without proud. "Youngest ever"

"Well done. Who else of your age group has joined?"

"Oh, you know. Your mother"

"Who else from your year at Hogwarts?"

"Neville Longbottom, Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Michael Corner, Padma Patil-"

"Who else from your year?"

Finally, Harry felt he had his mind as focused on the spell as he would possibly get it. It was only getting harder to concentrate, as Kingsley continued asking questions, and the panic about being given to Grindelwald grew.

He made his eyes go wide, and looked as shocked as he could be, staring over Shacklebolt's shoulder.

"Holy shit! What the fuck?!"

It only worked for a fraction of a second.

A fraction of a second was all that Harry needed.

As Shacklebolt turned his head, Harry focused all his mind, and thought: ' _Accio wand!'_

And it came, flying through the air, coming to rest right in his hands.

As Shacklebolt turned back, his own eyes widening when he saw the wand in Harry's hand, Harry cast a diffindo on the ropes binding him.

And moved his wand through a flowing, complicated motion.

As Shacklebolt's wand came up, Harry exhaled, incanting as he did so.

"Fiendfyre!"

He didn't try to control it. Didn't try to do anything more than watch as his fiery basilisk launched itself into Shacklebolt.

And then he apparated, leaving the monstrous flames roaring behind him.

* * *

He arrived a few meters away from the gates of Malfoy Manor.

He raised his left arm as he ran through the metal, blood dripping from his face and chest.

Leaving a crimson-stained trail in the light dusting of snow as he went.

He ran straight in, kicking the door open.

"DAPHNE!" He roared. "THEO? BLAISE? ANYONE? FOR FUCK'S SAKE, IS ANYONE HERE?"

Draco appeared, hurrying his way out of one of the rooms.

His jaw dropped, and both electric-blue eyes focused on Harry.

"Harry? Merlin's balls, where-where-what happened?"

"Is Daphne here?" He demanded, ignoring the question entirely, "Did they get back?"

Draco swallowed.

"Harry, you-you-"

His wand was out before he even knew he was drawing it. His chest had constricted, and his stomach roiled around like a bag of snakes.

"Is she here?" He whispered.

Draco nodded.

"Take me to her. Now. I need-I need to see her. She's alive, isn't she? She's ok?"

Draco was paler than Harry'd ever seen him.

"Draco. Is. She. Alive?"

Draco nodded slowly. "Come, Harry. This way"

He followed Draco, anxiety and fear growing, his head feeling light.

' _She made a Horcrux. She can't die. She made a Horcrux. She can't die'_

The thought ran through his mind over and over, a repetitive mantra.

It didn't calm him down.

"In-in there," Draco said, pointing with his cane to one of the guest bedrooms. "She's in there. There's a healer with her. You-you should-"

He was through the door before Draco could finish whatever he had been going to say.

He stopped dead in his tracks, as he took in the scene before him.

Daphne lay on a large bed, a bunch of colored lights flashing in midair above her.

The sheets of the bed were coated in blood.

A healer stood at the foot of the bed, taking down notes on a clipboard, and waving his wand over her.

The sheets of the bed were coated with blood.

He walked forward slowly, his legs feeling limp.

The sheets of her bed were coated with her blood. With her blood. With her blood.

"What-what's going on?" He asked.

The healer gave a little squeak as he jumped, and spun to face Harry.

"Mr. P-Potter, I'm sorry, you-"

He looked down. Her face was covered in cuts. Deep, thick cuts. Her hair was thick with her blood.

He closed his eyes, breathing deeply.

Something pounded inside his chest, screaming to be released.

"What is her-her prognosis?"

"She-she-we can deal with all the cuts and burns, but there'll be a scar or two. Mr. Potter, sir, please, let me look you over, your injuries-"

"When will she wake up?"

His fingernails cut deep into his palm. He wanted to scream, to kill this pathetic man before him who had left Daphne in a pool of her blood.

"We-we can't be sure, sir-"

"You. Can't. Be. Sure. You're telling me, that you can't be sure? Be sure. Now. FUCKING TELL ME, YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT. WHEN IS SHE GOING TO WAKE UP?"

He had started shouting at some point. Probably around the same time that he had drawn his wand and pointed it at the shaking man.

"We-it-the explosives, they were rune based! We-we aren't sure which rune exactly was used, and we've narrowed it down to two, but we need to figure it out further before we can give treatment"

Harry snarled and jabbed his wand forward.

The healer flew into a wall and hung there.

"HOW LONG? HOW LONG? HOW FUCKING LONG?"

' _She has a Horcrux. She'll be ok. She has a Horcrux. She'll be ok._

 _She has a Horcrux. She'll be ok._

 _She has a Horcrux. She'll be ok'_

It didn't help. Horcrux or not, she was still lying there in sheets covered with her blood, looking dead.

Horcrux or not, she was not by his side.

"I-I-we think a week or two, n-n-no more than three!"

"WORTHLESS! AVADA-"

"Harry! No!"

He snapped his head to the side, to where Draco stood, hands stretched out entreatingly.

"Harry," he said gently, soothingly. "He's the best. Killing him will make things worse for Daphne. It will only make you feel better for a few seconds. Please. He's the best. He fixed my legs, and my eyes, and woke me up. Please"

' _Kill them all. All of them. Spare none. Diggle!'_

He pulled his wand back, and the healer fell in a trembling heap.

"Th-th-thank you, sir. Thank you"

"My injuries. Look at them"

' _Diggle did this. Diggle did this. Diggle did this'_

"Ha-Harry. Have-have you heard?"

He looked at Draco as the healer drew near, his wand flashing over Harry.

"What?"

Draco shook his head slowly.

"The explosion. It killed Theo"

Harry's roar echoed through the manor.

"DIGGLE!"

* * *

"You desire vengeance"

"Yes, my lord"

The Dark Lord looked the three of them over, His eyes gleaming in the firelight.

Blaise was showing it the most. His eyes were red-rimmed, and he looked like a breeze would knock him over.

Theo's dad stood there, stoic and strong. Nothing showed on his face, not a hint of pain or rage. His eyes were blank, as dead as coal.

And Harry-Harry was somewhere in between the two. He couldn't really focus on anything except the constant thought of ' _Diggle did this. Diggle did this'_

His rage was building, edging toward an explosion.

"Very well. But you will proceed with utmost caution. Take Severus, Bellatrix, and Rookwood along. They will not interfere in your revenge. They will merely ensure that no-one else does"

"Thank you, my lord" Harry said, with Blaise echoing his words.

Theo's dad said nothing, only giving a curt nod before they departed.

Voldemort watched them leave and thought and planned.

* * *

He stared at the house as if the intensity of his glare could cause it to burst into flame.

' _Diggle did this. Diggle did this. Diggle did this. Diggle did this'_

His thoughts reached a crescendo as the front door opened.

"Come on. We've got them waiting"

He forced his fist to unclench. The fire in his chest rose, and through gritted teeth, he said: "come on"

He passed Snape and Rookwood, and entered the house, followed by Thaddeus, Blaise, and Bellatrix.

Snape took one last look at the quiet, empty street before walking in, closing the door behind him with a soft click.

The family waited for them in the living room. The mantelpiece was covered with pictures of them. The smiling, happy parents and their children.

Harry kept his eyes away from Diggle.

If he looked at him, he'd kill him too quickly.

They were all under body-binds. Diggle was sitting on the left of the couch, his wife next to him.

She was clearly very, very pregnant. And she clutched a young child to her chest.

Their two older sons stood to the side. Both of them well below Hogwarts age, probably around six and eight.

Their faces were all caught in rictus' of terror.

"I told you," Harry said, finally looking at Diggle, "I told you I'd destroy you"

He removed the body-binds, quickly levitating the Diggles before they could try to run.

"Please. Potter. You-you-your gripe is with me. Kill me. Spare my family"

"You killed my son"

Thaddeus stepped forward, next to Harry. His voice was as dead and expressionless as his face.

"I-I-"

"You killed my son. Crucio!"

As Diggle began to scream, and his wife sobbed, Harry heard Blaise say, in a shaky voice: "Crucio!"

The older son started screaming.

Harry snapped his wand, and the mother fell, landing in a heap.

"Pl-please. I-I'll do whatever you want. J-just spare my children. Please!"

"Thaddeus!" Harry called, still staring at the crying woman before him. "Let him watch this!"

Thaddeus ended the Cruciatus, and slowly, Diggle's screams died down.

He stared into her wide, tearful eyes.

The rage and pain within him reached a peak.

With a roar, he grabbed her child out of her arms.

Held him up by the ankles, his mewling cries singing in his ears.

Swung him as hard as he could, smashing his head into the brick wall.

The kids head fucking exploded, spraying blood, brains, and pieces of skull everywhere.

The woman fainted with a soft moan, falling onto her back.

Behind him, he heard Blaise vomiting.

"SEE WHAT YOU MADE ME DO?!" He shouted at Diggle, his voice full of his rage, while he shook the corpse like a rag doll. "SEE!"

He threw it onto the floor.

And stomped the bitch's round belly as hard as he could.

He lifted his leg and thrust it down again.

And again.

She sat up, shaking violently.

"FUCKING CUNT!" He screamed, sticking his face right in front of hers. "STUPID BITCH!"

"P-P-Potter-Potter, p-p-pl-"

"You killed my son. Crucio!"

Harry slashed his wand again, letting the other kid fall onto the floor.

The one Blaise had been dealing with lay on the ground, shivering and crying.

Blaise stood back, eyes wide and face pale.

"Thaddeus. Leave him for later. Let him watch. He killed your son. Pay him back. There's two left. I'm taking one"

Thaddeus walked over, behind Harry.

"Kamtzi Deraavan!"

The ants formed. Harry jabbed forward, and forward they went.

The kid tried to crawl away, but they were too fast.

He screeched, as the ants ate through him.

His mother tried to do something. Some pathetic attempt at movement towards him, to try to save his life.

Harry kicked her in the face, breaking her nose and shoving her back.

"Wait your turn, bitch. Are you watching, Diggle? I told you! I FUCKING TOLD YOU! I TOLD YOU I'D DESTROY YOU!"

He turned when he heard Thaddeus' dead voice again.

"Cruor Ignis"

It was quite fascinating, really.

He'd never seen the blood-boiling curse cast on a living person before.

The boy's body slowly glowed a brighter and brighter red, until, in a flash, flames consumed him.

The other son was nothing more than bones, the ants having done their work and vanished.

The mother let out a choking sob.

Harry glanced at Diggle. He was shaking terribly, his face white as snow.

He kept mouthing "no".

He turned to the wife again. To the blackish blood leaking out from between her legs.

' _Show her how weak she is. How pathetically, disgustingly soft. Make him watch. Take her'_

Unbidden, Daphne's words from a more pleasant time rang through his mind.

' _Well, there'll be no raping for you. Not unless I say so'_

He growled rage building in him once more.

' _She should be here! With me!'_

"Crucio!"

He grinned as she writhed before him, her screams and moans echoing in his ears.

With half a mind, he heard snaps and cracks, as Thaddeus began breaking Diggle's bones.

Behind him, Blaise vomited again and fled the room.

It didn't take long for her mind to break.

It wasn't surprising, really. After everything she'd been through, that she would take the refuge of catatonia.

After everything Diggle had forced Harry to do.

Finally, he turned to Diggle.

The man's bones all stuck out at strange angles, making him look more like a tree than a man.

He still hung in mid-air. Thaddeus worked on him in absolute silence, still no expression flitting across his features.

It was quite creepy, actually.

He watched as Thaddeus slowly skinned the man, his bloody flesh being revealed.

Diggle was growing hoarse, his screams coming out more as raspy moans.

With a flick of his wrist, Thaddeus finished the job, pulling the last bit of skin off.

Now he really didn't look human.

Thaddeus examined him for a second before nodding.

"I think," Harry said, clearing his throat, "we stick him up. Crucify him. Put a curse that'll do something crazy if anyone tries to take him down. Then leave. Let them starve"

Thaddeus nodded again and flicked his wrist.

Diggle slammed back, into the wall.

His broken, ruined arms raised up.

Thaddeus jabbed his wand forward, and thick, cruel spikes appeared, impaling themselves into his arms and legs.

He waved his wand again, in a far more complex maneuver, and muttered under his breath.

"What'll happen? If someone takes him down?"

Thaddeus smiled.

It was actually creepier than his blank face.

"If they touch him, their blood will begin to boil. Not too original, but it'll do the trick"

"Yeah. Th-Thaddeus. About-about Theo. I'm-I'm so sorry. He-he was-"

Thaddeus waved a hand negligently.

"He was my son" he simply said, "and now he is dead"

With that, his face closed off again, and he fell silent.

Before they left the room, Harry picked up one of the pictures from the mantelpiece.

A smiling family waved out at him, happily grinning. It was an old picture. She was pregnant then, and the two sons were both younger.

He smashed it underfoot and walked out of the house without a backward glance.

Leaving the destroyed Diggle family behind.

 **AS ALWAYS: REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW.**

 **I'M SORRY SPUDZMOM. BUT I'VE BEEN PLANNING THIS SINCE YEAR ONE.  
**


	7. Interlude II

**AN: I OWN NOTHING**

 **PLEASE REVIEW/P.M. ME**

 **ENJOY!**

Interlude II

 _Lucas residence, Brighton_

Andrea sat on her bed, her arms wrapped around her knees.

She slowly rocked back and forth.

The house was starting to stink.

She'd removed the muggle's body, laughing hysterically as she burned it.

She hadn't quite worked up the courage to do the same for her mother's.

She let out a keening moan, as the memory flooded through her again.

' _She was sitting in her room, reading. She hadn't decided yet, hadn't made the final decision about whether or not to end the disgusting creature who had given her life. From her parent's bedroom, she heard her mother cry out. A low sound, full of pain._

 _She heard the muggle's voice again, and a thwack of flesh hitting flesh._

 _As if in a dream, she closed her book and stood up, drawing her wand._

 _Her feet padded on the carpet, as she walked over. She heard the muggle again, his voice slurring as he called her mother a bitch._

 _And she kicked open the door, rage burning within her._

 _Her mother lay on the bed, clutching her eye._

 _The muggle stood over her, swaying gently, his fist still raised._

" _Leave her alone!" She shouted shrilly._

 _The muggle turned his head toward her and had the audacity to smile at her._

" _Andy, baby. Don't worry. I just-I'm just teaching your mom a lesson. Be a good girl, and go back to your room, ok, honey?"_

 _She could smell the whiskey fumes from where she stood._

 _He turned back toward her mother, and growled something, his hand raising higher._

 _Her mother let out a soft sob, tears running through her hand._

 _"You worthless, disgusting animal. You dare to raise a hand to a witch? Fuck you! Fuck you!"  
_

 _He turned back to her, confusion and anger warring on his face._

" _Andrea. You don't talk to your father that way"_

 _She rolled up her sleeve and pushed her arm forward. The Mark seemed to gleam in the low light.  
_

" _You see this, muggle? Do you even know what this means?"_

 _He tried to focus. "You've been getting tattoos? Out with boys, getting tattoos? GO TO YOUR ROOM, MISSY! WE'LL DISCUSS THIS SOON!"_

 _Her mother knew what it meant. She began to cry a lot harder, repeating Andrea's name over and over again._

 _"No, muggle," she said, her voice colder and harder than ever it had been before, "it means that you're below me. It means that I know you're below me"  
_

 _Tears started running down her face._

" _IT MEANS I CAN DO WHATEVER THE FUCK I WANT TO YOU! CRUCIO!"_

 _She watched with savage triumph as the muggle screamed and fell to the floor. He began rolling around, and she watched, crying and laughing._

 _She didn't see her mother grab her wand. But she did hear her shouting out a blasting hex._

 _She was knocked across the room, somehow managing to keep a hold of her wand as she smashed into the wall._

 _She lost control of the curse, and the muggle's screams died away._

 _She rose from a heap on the floor where she had landed, to face her mother._

" _Andrea. Andrea. You-you can't-"_

" _HOW CAN YOU LET HIM TREAT YOU LIKE THAT?" She shrieked._

" _Expelliarmus"_

 _She deflected her mother's spell with ease, breathing heavily._

" _HOW?!"_

 _"Andrea," her mother said gently, "he's a good man. He just-"  
_

" _He's a muggle! He dares-he dares-"_

" _Stupefy!"_

" _Protego!"_

 _A burning fury threatened to engulf her whole. All she was doing was trying to protect her mother. And the spineless, blood-traitor bitch dared fight against her._

" _Andrea. Stop. I don't know what lies they've been telling you, but-"_

 _She didn't think. Didn't plan it._

" _Avada Kedavra!"_

 _The anger left her instantly as the green jet collided with her mother, illuminating her once-beautiful features for a moment._

 _Then her mother collapsed bonelessly, landing on the floor with a soft thud._

" _Mummy?" She whispered fearfully, "mummy? No! I didn't want-I don't want-no! It's not meant to be like this! No! Mummy!"_

 _Her knees gave out and she crawled over to her mother's unmoving form._

" _Mummy! Mum! Please! No! I didn't want this! No!"_

 _She threw her arms over her mother, crying hysterically._

" _I didn't want this!"_

" _You stupid cunt!"_

 _Her sobbing stopped abruptly. Her face twisted as she turned around._

 _The muggle had risen, and grabbed the cricket bat he kept next to his bed._

" _I spoiled you. Shouldn't have. You dirty bitch. Not too late, though. Not too late"_

 _She raised her wand._

" _AVADA KEDAVRA!"_

She shook violently, with the force of the memory.

"It wasn't meant to be like that" she muttered. "It wasn't meant to be like that. Mummy was meant to be happy. It wasn't meant to be like that. Harry said it would be good. Harry said it would be good"

She screamed.

"WHY ISNT IT GOOD?! IT WAS MEANT TO BE GOOD!"

* * *

 _Nott Manor_

He stared into the picture. Into the smiling faces. They waved mockingly at him, full of happiness and hope.

He downed the firewhisky, not even grimacing at the burning sensation.

It didn't help. It didn't fill the gaping, biting emptiness within him.

He refilled his glass absentmindedly, and continued staring, slowly stroking the faces of his wife and son.

It was the last picture taken of the three of them together. Less than a week before he contracted the dragon pox.

Less than three weeks before Annette died.

Theo grinned widely, proudly showing off the gap where his latest tooth had fallen out.

He drank his glass.

Refilled it.

He was coming to realize that being alone wasn't the worst thing.

No. The worst thing was being alone, and knowing that you were entirely responsible for it.

If he hadn't killed that stupid mudblood, her husband would never have gone after Annette.

If he hadn't pushed Theo into his Lord's service, Theo would probably still be alive.

Hell, if he hadn't been so distant toward Theo after Annette's murder, the boy wouldn't have had such a thirst to prove himself to him. Wouldn't have been a fighter. Would have done something similar to what Lucius' kid was doing.

Not for the first time, he wished he had died alongside Annette.

The Malfoys would have gladly taken Theo in. It would have been tough for him, but he'd have had a happier childhood.

He drained his glass.

Refilled it, finally emptying the bottle.

Continued staring at the picture, face blank.

Things had been so good, back then.

He'd gotten out of the war, his prestige, freedom, and wealth intact. People had finally stopped staring and muttering when they saw him.

He and Annette had been talking about having another child.

Life had been good.

And then he'd gotten sick.

And never been truly happy again.

And then Theo had been killed. And he knew he'd never feel anything again.

He finished the glass.

He held his wand steady.

"Avada Kedavra"

He fell forward, the picture still clutched in his hand.

After a few minutes, his dead muscles released their grip.

And a breeze caught the picture, carrying it through the air.

It landed, by some chance, in the fireplace.

As Thaddeus Nott's body cooled, the last photograph of his once happy family burned.

* * *

 _Forest of Dean_

He paced the tent, psyching himself up.

Ron and Hermione stood behind him, both quiet.

Ironically enough, some of Voldemort's new laws were making this so much easier for them. The removal of the Trace for those over the age of thirteen, for example, had been a godsend.

The prisoner groaned, moving slightly in his sleep.

He tried not to look at him. Tried not to think too much about what he about to do.

Tried not to think about his parents.

He thought about Bellatrix Lestrange. He thought about Harry Potter. Most of all, he thought about Voldemort.

Finally, he felt ready.

He nodded, and the duo behind him took a step back, one of them patting him on the back first.

He raised his wand, shaking so badly that it was barely in line with his target.

"Wake him up," he said, managing to keep his voice steady.

He heard Hermione whisper behind him.

"Enervate!"

And the prisoner's eyes opened.

He didn't look into them. Wouldn't allow himself the chance to rethink this.

' _It has to be done'_

"C-Cr-Crucio!"

He winced, as the bound Death Eater before him began to scream and shake.

But his fears quickly vanished, as a haze of good feeling filled him with strength, warming him up.

' _I wonder if this is how Bellatrix felt?'_

He couldn't keep it going any longer after that. He ended the curse and bent over, vomiting between his spread legs.

"Neville! Neville, are you all right?"

He brushed off Hermione's concerns, barely even noticing when Ron vanished his puke.

"Give it to him," he rasped, "quickly!"

Hermione hurried over to the still-shaking Death Eater and poured some of the Veritaserum into his mouth.

"Neville. You alright, mate? Seriously, I mean"

He nodded to Ron, standing up again.

"What's your name?"

The prisoner stared straight ahead, eyes blank.

"Sasha Mikhailov"

"How long have you been a Death Eater for?"

"Two and a half years"

"How long have you been in England for? Why did you come here from Russia?"

"I have been here one year. My lord desired that some of the squad leaders would come from Russia after we took the government there. He wanted us to help train the new recruits here, after our successes there"

He looked over at Ron and Hermione.

Pale-faced, they both nodded.

"Do you know what a Horcrux is?"

"No"

"Have you ever seen or heard of Voldemort taking great care of a book?"

"Yes. There were rumors. We wondered what was in it. My Lord told us not to dwell on it"

His heart sped up. "Where is it?"

"My lord hid it. In the bottommost layers of Azkaban prison"

Ron let out a soft whoop.

"Y-you're sure?"

"Yes"

"Where in Azkaban?"

"In the bottommost cells. Below where the prisoners' possessions are kept, there is a secret floor. I was one of those who accompanied my lord to Azkaban. It was a great honor"

"He told you he was hiding it there?"

"No. I was brought with to speak to some of the guards there. To give them advice on interrogation techniques. But I wished to see his greatness and watched him from a hidden crevice. I witnessed him placing a spell on the book before he went down to the bottommost levels. I grew afraid that I would be spotted when he entered the lowest floor, and I hid. When we left Azkaban, I saw no further sign of the book"

He glanced over at Ron and Hermione. Ron looked excited beyond belief. Hermione looked thoughtful.

' _Already planning an Azkaban break-in'_ he thought, with a grin.

"Have you ever seen Voldemort with a locket? Or heard or seen anything about a locket of his?"

Eyes still blank, Sasha shook his head.

"No"

"What about a diadem?"

"I do not know what that is"

"A tiara"

"No"

"Is there anything, any object that Voldemort is obsessively careful about?"

"His wand"

"Besides that"

"No"

"What spell was it, that you saw him place on the book?"

"I do not know. My lord, in his majesty, knows more obscure magic than any other. I did not recognize the wand movements, and he spoke no incantation"

He sighed.

' _Should have known it wouldn't be that easy'_

"Where is he currently located?"

"The Malfoy family have the wondrous honor of hosting my lord, while his manor is rebuilt"

"Rebuilt?"

"It was destroyed when the spy blew himself up"

"The spy?"

Hermione hissed at him. "Don't get sidetracked. The Veritaserum will wear off soon!"

"The spy was a coward who-"

"Never mind" Neville interrupted. "Tell me about Voldemort's plans"

"My lord will first conquer the wizarding world. In every country we conquer, the muggle leaders are placed under the Imperius. Their weapons are disabled. Once the entire wizarding world is ours, we can begin eradicating the scum-"

"Scum?"

"Muggles. We will destroy them all, except the few we require for pets or experiments. We will rebuild the magical world, and my lord will rule for eternity. The Dark Arts will no longer be illegal. I will be a general in my lord's army, and we will crush-"

"Enough!" Hermione was breathing very quickly behind him, and he could hear her soft sobs.

"Tell me about Potter"

"Harry Potter is my lord's chosen. He is second only to my lord. His word is law unless it contradicts my lord. He-"

"Where does he live?"

"At Malfoy Manor. Or at the Greengrass' manor, with his lover"

"What does he do?"

"Whatever he wishes. He is my lord's chosen. He and his lover are above the rest of us"

"Neville. Enough, mate. I can't listen to this shit anymore"

Neville nodded slowly.

"Neville" Hermione whispered, "are you sure you-you can do this?"

He nodded again, raising his wand with tears in his eyes.

Sasha looked at him, no fear showing at the raised wand.

"A-Avada Ke-Kedavra!"

Sasha died.

Again, Neville retched.

' _It has to be done'_ he told himself, as Ron cleaned up and Hermione whispered something comforting.

' _It has to be done'_

* * *

 _Villa Zabini_

Blaise took a deep drag, relishing the cigarette's harshness against his throat.

' _So weak. So fucking weak'_

He sat on his bed, staring at the wall. Everything seemed dull. Colors seemed muted. Sounds seemed to come into his ears as if through water.

He ground the cigarette out against his arm, inhaling sharply at the first second of his skin's contact with the burning coal.

And color swam back into the world.

He breathed out in a sigh of relief.

When he thought about Theo too much, when he focused on the rest of his life stretching out ahead of him without Theo in it. Without his childhood best friend, his lover, and soulmate.

Everything went grey and pointless.

' _What's the point? If I'm alone? There'll never be anyone like him. Never'_

Blaise was not stupid. He was cognizant of the fact that it was a rather melodramatic statement to make, that most people had more than one partner throughout their lifetime.

But he and Theo had been friends since they were just out of nappies. He and Theo had grown up together. He and Theo had fit together perfectly, understanding the other's needs without needing to be told.

And he was too weak to even avenge him properly.

' _Weak. Pathetic. Sickening'_

"It's not fair" he muttered, reaching blindly for another cigarette.

He lit it, the smell briefly reminding him of the first one he ever had.

It had been with Theo, of course.

"It's not fair" he repeated. "We were meant to get old together. It's not fair"

The brightness started bleeding its way out of the walls again, the sunlight shining through the window suddenly seeming like nothing more than a candle.

He sighed and started pressing the cigarette against his arm, adding to the collage of burns.

His bedroom door opened, and his mother walked in.

She seemed to take in the scene at a glance, her eyes widening slightly.

Other than that and a small tremor in her hands, the tray she was holding shaking audibly, she gave no sign of shock.

"Oh, my Blaise," she said softly, putting the tray down on his chest of drawers and taking a seat next to him on the bed.

She started stroking the back of his neck, the way she would have done when he was small and fretful.

"It's not fair," he said again, aware that he was whining, and not caring in the least.

"No" she agreed gently, "it isn't. But one day, you'll find another. Not someone to replace Theo, no. You may never find the love you shared with him again. But you'll find companionship and friendship. And your love for him will stay strong. It will never weaken"

"What would you know about love?" He snarled, pulling away from her embrace and staring at her. "Have you ever loved someone for longer than was necessary to be written into their will?"

She didn't seem affronted by this. She simply continued stroking his neck, staring into space with a wistful look.

"Once" she finally said. "Once. And I've never forgotten him. And I never will"

He buried his face in her shoulder and began to cry, his body shaking with his sobs.

"It's just not fair!"

"I know dear," she said, still staring into a long gone past, "I know"

* * *

 _Hogwarts Dungeons_

Grindelwald was silent for a short while, his eyes distant and unfocused.

Padma stood before him, her hands twirling around each other aimlessly.

"It is a result of the ritual" he finally said, "you were all virgins when it was performed. I should have taken it into account. The use of Blood Magic is only exacerbating it"

"That's what we thought, my lord," she said with a shrug.

"Don't call me that" he muttered.

His eyes sharpened and focused on her.

"It may be possible to minimize the effects"

"That's not necessary, sir. We're happy with it. We were just wondering if it was a natural thing or not"

He frowned, the shadows dancing upon his face. "It is not merely your emotions that are being twisted. Your thought processes as well, are being perverted"

"Doe-does it matter? If we're happy, does it matter if it's because of the magic twisting us?"

His face softened, and he reached a hand down, stroking her face.

"Oh, child. This should not have been your lot. I'm sorry for what I have forced you all to become"

"We told you, my l-sir. We're willing to do anything to help you beat him"

He continued stroking her, lightly brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes.

"In times of peace, it is hard enough to find pleasure," he said slowly, "all the more so in times of war. If you are happy, then continue with my blessing"

"Thank you, sir"

"The boys finished their latest invention?"

"They were just finishing it up now. The mist one"

He smiled, pulling his hand away from her.

"Excellent. Go. Celebrate"

She smiled and walked away, murmuring her thanks.

As she walked toward her room, her footfalls sounding on the stone floor, she undid the clasp and the belt holding her robe closed around her.

She was naked underneath.

She paused just outside the door to her room. Muted grunts and moans could be heard through the stone door, accompanied by the sound of flesh hitting flesh.

' _Bastards. They were meant to wait for me'_

She smiled wryly. ' _Although, if it was just me and one of them, we wouldn't wait either'_

The sounds stopped as her hand touched the doorknob.

' _They know I'm here, already. This bond, or whatever it is. It's stronger when we're closer to each other'_

She pushed open the door and as she entered, let her robe fall onto the floor.

They both stared at her, George lying on his back with his legs spread wide, Fred standing at the foot of the bed, obviously having paused mid-thrust.

She looked at them for a moment, and they at her.

Thought ceased, as the mindless lust claimed her.

And there was nothing but need, and desire, and sensation.

* * *

 _The study, Malfoy Manor.  
_

Lord Voldemort sat on His throne, His chin resting on one fist.

His other hand stroked a woodcut in an ancient tome.

It was quite an informative picture. It showed three people, standing back to back in a triangle, while a wizard stood a bit away from them.

' _If this is what Grindelwald has done, it would explain much. It would also give him a great disadvantage. If only I could make use of it'_

But Hogwarts was extremely secure, and the chances of Him managing to kidnap one of Grindelwald's three were very low.

' _Unless I attack. But it is not yet time for that'_

It was quite exhilarating, actually. Having an opponent as worthy as Grindelwald.

Dumbledore, galling as it was to admit, had been a brilliant wizard. But Dumbledore had been foolish, naive, and obsessed with seeing the good in everyone.

Dumbledore would never have launched an attack, merely for the chance of capturing one of His followers.

No. Grindelwald was truly worthy of being His opponent.

When the time came, Grindelwald would be rewarded with a quick death.

Grindelwald was a true threat. The three hunting His Horcruxes were nothing more than a distraction, and one that would be dealt with soon enough.

But Grindelwald. He was dangerous. He was clever, and talented, and had his fingers in all sorts of pies.

He may even have been behind the recent uprising in America.

' _Possibly. An attempt to draw me out of England, or simply to weaken my power base there?'_

The question remained: what to do about it?

Ordinarily, it would not have required thought. He would have gone to America and dealt with the problem Himself.

But with Grindelwald biding his time, matters became far less simple.

' _If I could get his three. Or even one of them. It could certainly weaken him. Cause him to lose focus'_

An idea occurred. His lips curled as He contemplated it.

' _Yes. That could work. And I think Harry would rather enjoy it'_

Harry was right where He wanted him. Firmly under His control, desirous of nothing other than to serve his lord and enjoy himself.

And to be with his Greengrass.

Truly, the Order of the Phoenix deserved thanks for that. No matter what, Harry would never be tempted to join their side. To join the side who had so catastrophically injured the one person he truly loved.

The child of prophecy, the one who could have been a threat, was His, as firmly as the rest of the world. Was His, and was ensuring His immortality with every Horcrux he made.

Lord Voldemort began reviewing His plan, sitting with His eyes closed and His mind whirring.

Soon, Grindelwald would be dealt a great blow. And then Hogwarts would fall.

And soon enough, after all the years and decades, the world would be His.

As it should be.

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	8. Chapter 6

**AN: I OWN NOTHING**

 **PLEASE REVIEW/P.M. ME**

 **ENJOY!**

Chapter 6

Thunder rumbled across the sky. A flock of birds flew out of the nearest tree, calling as they disappeared into the distance.

Harry ran his hand along the marble again, his fingers sinking into to the indentations.

 **THEODORE NOTT. BELOVED SON. TRUSTED FRIEND. LOYAL WARRIOR.**

"It's my fault" he whispered. "My fault you're dead. I convinced you to join. I pushed you to fight. And I-I-when they came, I should have called for a retreat. It's my fault"

His eyes flickered to the side, to the freshly dug grave next to Theo's.

"Is it better? Is-is your mother there?"

The wind rustled through the trees, the clouds overhead looming ominously.

"I-Daphne hasn't woken up yet. I think-I think she would have died. If she hadn't made-if she hadn't made one. But she's alive. They say they're gonna wake her up. Tomorrow. They've-they've figured out what Runes were used. So they can wake her"

It began to drizzle, droplets slowly falling around him.

"You were-I never had-never had friends, before Hogwarts. And you were one of the first friends I ever had. And I-I miss you, mate. And Blaise-Blaise is broken. He's broken without you. And I don't know what to do, what to say to him to make him-to make him feel better."

The rain grew stronger, huge drops throwing up clouds of dust as they landed.

He stood there for a few more seconds, rubbing the tombstone.

Then he spun on the spot and disappeared.

* * *

"You were planning on speaking with Horatio today, correct?"

"Yes, my lord"

Voldemort looked up from the book He had been staring into. He focused on Harry, looking thoughtful, and said: "Find out as much as you can about the Weasley Twins and the Patil girl. I have a suspicion. But I require more evidence"

"I will, my lord. What do you suspect?"

"I will tell you once you have returned with Horatio's input"

Voldemort raised a hand as he spoke, cutting off any possibility of a protest at this.

"I do not wish to bias you. I want to hear what Horatio has to say, unfettered by my beliefs"

Harry nodded.

"We have much to discuss, Harry. We are entering the endgame now. Soon, the world will be ours. Come back to me when you have spoken to Horatio"

* * *

Horatio appeared on the other side of the mirror almost immediately. He looked terrible, his right eye twitching nonstop and his hair sticking out in all directions.

He rubbed his hand through his hair, making it lie flat, and took a deep breath.

"Horatio?" Harry asked cautiously, "are you-are you alright?"

"Merlin, Harry. Yeah, I'm alright. But things-things are terrible here"

Horatio's head snapped around, and he stared in the opposite direction for a minute.

Around him, the debris of the Room of Hidden Things was clearly visible, the large piles casting strange shadows.

Horatio turned back, and he exhaled slowly.

"Harry. There's-there's Inferi here. Thousands of them. More keep coming. They're all over the grounds. They're-they're part of his defenses"

"He's got Inferi around a fucking school?"

Horatio nodded, his face pale. "And it's-it's crazy. McGonagall, she's arguing with him every single day. I don't know how much longer she'll last. She-he didn't want to let anyone leave for break, but she convinced him to. But-but she's mostly powerless"

Horatio swallowed thickly.

"He-do you know Virgil Colter? Ravenclaw, fifth year?"

"Blonde kid? Chubby?"

"Yeah. He-he-Grindelwald had him whipped. In the Great Hall. And the teachers, they hated it. They were all crying and stuff, and Pomfrey looked like she was gonna pass out. And Grindelwald just-just stood there, with the Weasleys and Patil, and nobody said anything. They-they can't stand up to him. They can't"

"What did he do?" Harry whispered, "Colter? What did he do?"

Horatio shook his head, trembling slightly. "Nothing. He just-he said to someone, that he doesn't know how long Hogwarts can hold out. And-and Grindelwald said he was spreading despondency, and he had to be dealt with. And-and afterward, Grindelwald and his followers took him. And we haven't seen him since"

Harry was about to say something, to ask how the fuck things like that were just going on, when Horatio went on, his voice rising to a higher pitch, his speech growing hysterical.

"There's always someone watching! Always listening! And it's-it's fucking hell! Please! Ask Him if I can leave! If they find me out-if they find me out-they'll-they'll-I don't know what the fuck they'll do! It doesn't feel like Hogwarts! It feels like a prison! Like fucking Azkaban! Please, please Harry, pl-"

"Horatio. Calm down. Breathe. Breathe"

Horatio looked at the floor and drew in jagged breath after jagged breath.

"Sorry" he muttered, looking up again. "It's just really intense here. And it's-I'm scared I'm gonna crack"

"I'll speak to Him," Harry said slowly, "but we don't have anyone else there"

"I know. And I-I don't want to be a coward. But it's-you can't understand what it's like here. Everyone's afraid of Grindelwald and his crowd. All the teachers too. They don't dare say anything. McGonagall convinced him to let people leave for the break, but he's gonna be testing everyone with Veritaserum when they come back. And those Weasleys and Patil-"

Horatio shivered.

"Tell me about them. What do they do? Why do they scare you so much?"

"They-there's something really creepy about them. They don't do classes anymore. Fuck, the Weasleys shouldn't even be here! They had NEWTS last year! All they do is hang around Grindelwald. And-and you see them, always together, the three of them, walking around. And when Grindelwald is around, they're with him. And when he goes, when he does whatever the fuck it is that he does, they go with him. They-they don't talk to anyone else, except to that little Weasley girl. Not even Patil's friends. And-they don't sleep in their dormitories anymore. But they-they seem to be everywhere"

"What do you mean?"

Horatio swallowed, the twitch in his eye becoming more noticeable.

"The other day, I left a book in my room. So I headed back between classes. And-and they were waiting for me, around the one corner. Wanted to know where I was going, what I was doing. They started interrogating me. And they-they're fucking creepy, Harry. They all finish each other's sentences. The way they talk, the three of them, it's like they're one person in three bodies. And their eyes-"

He shivered again.

"Their eyes-no emotion. But you see them practicing dueling and stuff outside, and the way they move-they move perfectly in tune with each other. And they practically worship Grindelwald"

"I see" Harry murmured, feeling troubled.

"You don't! You're not here! The Weasleys, they used to be-they were funny, and pranksters, and troublemakers! They're not! They give off this feeling of-of menace! And Patil, she was always talkative and joking a lot, and now, she's the same as them! And they're-they feel-they feel more dangerous than most of us!"

"I'll tell Him. Horatio, relax. I'll found out if we can get you out of there"

"Please! I really-I'm losing it, here. Please, Harry"

"I'll try. Tell me, are most people leaving for the break?"

Horatio nodded. "Practically everyone"

"Luna?"

"Yeah. I asked her as you said. She's going home"

"Excellent. Do you know about the Weasley girl? If she's leaving or not?"

"She-she is. Her brothers were arguing with her about it the other day. They said-they said she's being dumb, that she should stay, but she wouldn't hear it."

"Good. Listen. I'll speak to Him. Just try to stay calm in the meantime, ok?"

Horatio ran his hand through his hair again.

"I'll try. I'll try"

* * *

"Tell Horatio that If he is truly worried about his position there, he may leave his post. Make it clear that I am pleased with his service. And inform him, that if he chooses to stay on as my spy within Hogwarts, his reward will be incredible"

"I will, my lord. But I doubt he will. He-he is very close to cracking"

"Nevertheless," Voldemort said, "you will tell him"

"I will"

"Good. He has served well. And confirmed my suspicions"

Before Harry could even ask, Voldemort went on.

"I believe Grindelwald used the twins and the girl in a ritual. An ancient rite, one that allows him to...draw power through them, if you will. The way Horatio has described them, their closeness. It is due to a bond created by the ritual. It makes all of them more powerful than they would be alone, merging their magical ability into a...pool, so to speak. One that they each draw from. And Grindelwald gains that as well. It is how he has been able to raise so many Inferi in so short a time. Doubtless, he has far less of a need for sleep or food than he would, without it"

Voldemort smiled suddenly, his serpentine face lighting up with glee.

"And therein lies our solution," he whispered, "it is not merely their magical power which is melding together. It is their emotions and thoughts. And if we make one of them feel fear, and pain, and hopelessness..."

Harry grinned.

"Of course, the other two will not die when one of them does. But they will become...unstable. And it will affect Grindelwald as well. He will not be able to concentrate, not truly. And he will make mistakes"

"So we-we get hold of the three? But how, my lord? Horatio says they're always together, and they're usually with Grindelwald"

Voldemort laughed, the high pitched noise raising the hairs on Harry's arms.

"The Weasley girl is returning home for the break. She will bring them out of Hogwarts"

He held up a long-fingered hand, forestalling any questions.

"Longbottom," He spat, "is no longer a primary concern. I believe he will shortly find himself trapped in Azkaban. Grindelwald, however, is. Grindelwald must be stopped"

"I think," Harry said slowly, "I-we'll be able to do that. To use her for that"

Voldemort smiled at him warmly, full of trust.

"I know. Now, they will wake Daphne tomorrow?"

"Yes. They say that once they wake her, she'll have to spend a day in bed, under observation. Then she'll be fine"

"Good. Good"

"My-my lord?"

Voldemort nodded.

"Horcruxes. How do they work? I mean, do they just-just keep you alive? What if the body's destroyed?"

Voldemort sighed and held His hands up before His face, staring at them for a moment before talking.

"If the body is not too badly damaged, the soul will simply not leave. This is what happened with Daphne. The healers said, did they not, that they do not understand how she survived?"

"They did" he muttered.

"If not for the Horcrux, her soul would have departed. You ask, what if the body is destroyed? If one of the main organs is ruined beyond repair? That happened to me"

"And-and how-"

"How did I restore myself" Voldemort mused, speaking as if to himself. "It took me near eleven years to do so. And it was only with the aid of another that I managed, I, Lord Voldemort. As a spirit, one is barely capable of interacting with the physical. I possessed Quirrell, and had him perform the ritual I required"

His gleaming eyes sharpened, focusing on Harry.

"Even so, I do not know for a certainty what would have been had the situation been different. My original body was entirely destroyed. It was nothing more than dust. Had it remained, even slightly, I would have used it in the ritual, saving myself ten years. But it did not. And I was forced to create an entirely new body"

His hands finally dropped, coming to rest on the sides of his throne.

"Even then, Dumbledore was trying to trap me. He never believed I had died. Did you know what was kept at Hogwarts during your first year?"

Harry shook his head, mutely. This was a rare mood for the Dark Lord, this reminiscing over the past.

"The Philosopher's Stone. Oh, how it would have made my return easier. But Dumbledore was clever. It was hidden behind a series of rooms, each meant to prevent passage. None of them would have proven difficult for me to bypass, of course. But Dumbledore had it warded to the nth degree. I could have passed through each room easily. But not without warning him. So I was forced to make alternative plans"

He sighed again, sounding more human than Harry had ever heard him before.

"If ever you are in that situation, come to me. You are a most puissant wizard, Harry, but the rituals required to recreate a body are far beyond even your capabilities. They need to be fine-tuned, personalized to your own specific needs. Was I anything less than what I am, I would not have been able to create the ritual I needed"

"I will" Harry promised, throat dry, "but I hope I never have to"

Voldemort laughed again.

"When Daphne is awakened, and given the all-clear by the healers," He said, His voice still carrying traces of mirth, "you and she will accompany me to America. It will not be an arduous mission, dealing with the rebellion there. But I want our forces to see you. To see that I treat you as my second-in-command"

"I-we will, my lord. Gladly"

"I have been thinking of what your position will be, once the war is over," He said, ignoring Harry's agreement, "once Grindelwald is dead and Hogwarts is ours. I will require a police force. But one that will not be focused on the humdrum of daily life. One that will root out betrayal and the scent of rebellion, no matter where it lies. One that will strike fear into the hearts of the commoners. And you, Harry, you shall head this force"

Harry leaned forward, face going slack with shock.

' _He wants-He wants me to head His KGB, His secret police. Me!'_

"I told you, Harry" Voldemort went on, "you will be my second-in-command. The others, the regular soldiers and police, they will be bound by laws. Society must have laws to function. Even the police must obey the courts. But you would not. You and your servants would obey only me, directly. You would be the one to strike fear into the hearts of all those who think to fight against our rule, who think themselves above our laws. I believe this will be a position you are most suited for"

"I-I-thank you, my lord. Thank you"

Harry was shocked to find tears welling up in his eyes. He was shocked to realize, that even though he'd been promised, over and over again, that he would hold a position of great honor; he'd never, in his heart of hearts believed it. Not truly. Not deep down.

"Thank you, my lord" he whispered, the words rasping through his throat.

"Not at all," Voldemort said, waving a hand lazily. "You and Daphne have served me greater than any others. And I have promised rewards to all those who serve me loyally. You have proven yourself worthy, as has Daphne. And that is why, when we are in America, I will grant another of your requests. I will show the two of you how to create a Mark, bonding yourselves to one another. And that is something that I have never taught anyone. If I did not believe you worthy of my affections, I would not be showing you that. Never mind the education on Horcruxes"

Harry shook his head slowly.

"Go. Be with your friends while you wait for Daphne to be awakened. Relax"

"Thank you, my lord" he whispered again, as he left the room.

Lord Voldemort watched him go, his mouth twisting into a mockery of a smile.

It had never hurt, to emphasize a point, and to do whatever was necessary to ensure continued loyalties.

* * *

"Harry. Mate, you should get some sleep"

He didn't look up from her face. His fingers continued their gentle stroking, running their way down the scars marring her perfect face.

"I'll be fine," he said, still staring. Waiting for the moment that her eyes would open, that she would come back to him.

He heard Draco conjuring a chair and pulling it up next to him.

"Harry. She'll be awake and fine tomorrow. You're gonna want to be awake yourself, not to be exhausted"

"Leave it. I can't sleep"

"She was the same, you know. When you were in Saint Mungo's. Talking about running away from school to sit by your side"

His hands tangled themselves in her hair.

"Yeah" he whispered, "I know"

"I never thought it would be like this" Draco admitted, "all this sitting around hospital beds and stuff"

Harry turned to face him, eyes narrowing.

"You regret it?"

Draco shook his head, one eye spinning to focus on something behind them. "Merlin, no. I just-I guess I was very childish when we started. Didn't imagine anything bad would happen to anyone on our side. But it's-"

"It's war"

Draco nodded. "It's war. I never-I never really knew what that would mean, you know? I thought we would just march in and take control, not really have to worry about the opposition. I was an idiot. A spoiled, naive idiot"

"You were a child. We all were"

"Yeah," Draco said with a shrug. "I was. And now-now I realize. War is Hell. I haven't even-haven't even had time to mourn father properly. To-to process the emotions. Just been too much going on. And Theo-I can't even think about him, cause I'm too worried about Blaise"

"You seen him today?"

"Yeah. We spoke a little. I think he'll be ok if he gets through the next few weeks. But he needs to get through them"

"He will. He's strong, Draco. Stronger than we give him credit for"

"I hope so. And it's-it's practically over. That's the craziest thing. How quickly it's all happened. Three years ago, no-one even knew He was back. Now we've practically won"

"Yeah. Just Hogwarts, that group in America, Africa, and Australia"

"And even that. They're not gonna be able to stand. You guys are going with to America, right?"

Harry nodded.

"There you go. A week, till America is completely ours. And Hogwarts will be tough, but another few months, and we'll have it. And another year or so, and Africa and Australia will fall. And then the world is ours"

"Amazing. Who'd have thought it? That we'd be ruling the world at the age when we would be finishing Hogwarts?"

Draco chuckled softly. "I think father did. He always had big dreams for me"

"Yeah. He did. He was a good man. I miss him"

"Me too. Me too. Try to get some sleep, ok? Next thing you know, she'll wake up, then you'll be going to America. Relax while you can, right?"

"Right," Harry said, turning back to look at her sleeping features.

Draco squeezed his shoulder as he stood and limped his way out of the room, leaving Harry to his vigil.

* * *

She opened her eyes slowly, blinking at the sudden light. Blurry shapes slowly became clearer, taking form.

Taking Harry's form.

"Hey," he said, looking at her with naked love and hunger. "Welcome back"

"Hi" she whispered, voice weak and soft from disuse.

"You've been out for a while," he told her gently, "since the fight in the cemetery. They used some rune-based explosive. But you're ok now. You're better than ok. You're back"

He leaned in, his lips drawing nearer to hers as his hands ran through her hair.

"You're back"

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	9. Chapter 7

**AN: I OWN NOTHING**

 **PLEASE REVIEW/P.M. ME**

 **ENJOY!**

Chapter 7

America, Harry decided, was not what he had expected.

Never having traveled overseas before, he'd thought it would be something entirely different, totally different people with different ways of life.

He'd expected, in fact, something out of the movies he'd grown up watching: car chases and kidnappings, daring heists and shootings.

He'd expected it to be interesting.

It wasn't, after the first day.

Granted, they were in a wizarding town in rural Nebraska, way out in the middle of nowhere.

Any muggles who came near saw nothing except enormous cornfields, stretching as far as the eye could see.

To the wizards, however, it was a different story.

The area was dotted with small hidden wizarding villages, most of them tiny, with less than a hundred families per village.

Most of them, but not the town they had come for.

The town, Gaitlin, was relatively large, boasting almost four thousand magical citizens. Due to its size, it was the center of commerce and community for the magical population of the are. It had a little street of shops, it had the primary school for the area.

As such, a contingent of American Death Eaters had been placed there.

One and a half weeks previously, a group of Gaitlin residents had attacked the Death Eaters stationed there, causing them to retreat to New York. They had reveled in their puny victory and invited all the witches and wizards around them to come and celebrate.

Most had been clever or afraid enough not to.

A few had even been clever enough to Apparate to New York and head to the offices of Congress, offering whatever information they had.

One had even been so clever as to offer his services as a spy.

The Death Eaters' retaliation had taken a day or two to get started. But once they had gathered up all their information and gotten their forces together, they had returned to Gaitlin.

And they had wreaked absolute fucking havoc, all but tearing the town to shreds in their fight with the rebels.

But the residents of Gaitlin had managed to barricade themselves into their Town Hall, a fortified and warded building with enough food for a long haul. And no matter how much they tried, the Death Eaters couldn't break their way into it.

And so it had remained in a stalemate until the Dark Lord arrived. The Death Eaters waited outside the Town Hall, their own anti-apparition and anti-portkey wards layered over the safehouse.

Until the Dark Lord arrived.

He'd been ready to go, two days earlier. But He'd wanted Harry to go with, to show the Americans what Harry's position was, what his standing among the Death Eaters was.

And so He'd waited two days, for Daphne to be woken up and recuperated.

Those two days had actually been amazing for Harry. To be able to talk to Daphne again, to hear her voice.

It was like a gift from God.

They'd agreed to make their second Horcruxes as soon as they returned from America.

Neither of them had needed any real convincing. Not with Theo lacking from her bedside, and Blaise present with the cold depression surrounding him.

Not after he'd been tied up and tortured, with nothing other than Lupin and Shacklebolt's desire to get answers from him holding him back from being in Grindelwald's clutches.

No, they needed no convincing to do whatever was necessary to ensure their immortality.

After she had recuperated they had taken a long-range portkey to America, leaving Bella behind with promises that they'd come to play with Capella when they got back.

The portkey had been pretty horrific, to be honest. Far worse than any other transportation Harry'd taken before. Usually, portkeys, floo, and apparition took around a second to complete the trip.

The long-range portkey took at least a minute. A minute of being squeezed and squashed, twisted and turned.

And then they finally arrived.

It had been pretty crazy, even for Harry, to see the Dark Lord taking out the rebels' safehouse.

The Dark Lord had cast some spell, something that made the wards on the building show up, glowing in an eerie blue light under the overcast sky.

He'd then stood there facing it for about ten minutes, just twisting His wand and muttering under His breath.

And then, moments after the glow vanished, He'd jabbed His wand forward with a growl, stabbing it toward the Town Hall.

And the building had fucking collapsed, metal and wood groaning as it lost its form and dropped, throwing up great clouds of dust.

"Gather the survivors. All of them"

At first, Harry had started walking forward to join the Death Eaters in doing their lord's bidding.

Voldemort's warning hand held him back.

"No" the Dark Lord whispered. "You do not work alongside the servants. You are above them"

Voldemort had punished the rebels the same way he had in Liverpool: by crucifying the fighters and burning their families. With one major difference, though.

Harry had been the one to light the flames, to ignite the inferno that licked and bit at the screaming prisoners.

After that, their time in America was full of meetings and discussions. Harry shook hands and spoke with the top Death Eaters in Nebraska the entire next day, bored out of his mind and sick of hearing the same things over and over again.

He kept looking to his side, making sure that Daphne was standing there, still smirking at his obvious discomfort.

By that night, Harry was ready to kill the next person to speak to him with that fucking condescending tone, wishing him well when they should be licking his shoes and thanking him for the privilege.

That night, though, the Dark Lord granted their boon.

After a long lecture on what they would do, they were finally ready.

* * *

He held his wand in a trembling hand, the tip just touching her skin.

She nodded at him, and he began.

The process was reminiscent of the creation of a Horcrux. It was pure will and magic, no wand waving or incantations required.

Just him and her.

His eyes closed, he focused every bit of willpower he had, reaching out with senses he wasn't even aware that he possessed.

Reaching out to her very soul. He could see it, in his mind's eye, a beacon of light in the pitch darkness.

With hands made of will and magic, he gripped hold of her soul and twisted it around himself, pulling her closer to him than words could ever possibly convey. He pulled it tight, and the world thrummed around him as he bound her to himself.

His wand pushed forward, and he felt the magic pulse through his very being, felt his magic imprinting his Mark on her skin.

And then it was over.

He kept his eyes closed for a few moments longer, relishing in the way he could feel her in his mind. Not like the muggle minister, not like someone under the Imperius. But he could feel her, could feel her location, and he knew, that even if she were on the opposite side of the world he would feel it just as clearly. He could feel her, and he would never be without her again.

He opened his eyes slowly and found her staring at him breathlessly.

"It worked" he whispered.

She nodded her head down, toward her arm as a wide smile spread its way across her face.

And there was a tattoo just below her wrist, a raven in flight, it's one visible eye glinting ominously.

He held his own hand out, afraid to speak further, afraid to somehow ruin the perfect beauty of this time.

She closed her eyes, frowning in concentration.

He tried to keep his breath even as he waited, tried not to let his excitement overwhelm him.

And then her wand jabbed into his arm, and he had to bite his inner cheek to keep from screaming. Receiving the Dark Mark had been an exceptionally painful experience. But it had been over in an instant.

This seemed to go on forever.

Until, as suddenly as it had begun, it was over.

The raven on his arm seemed to wink at him.

She didn't speak. She just put her own arm next to his, their matching tattoos side by side.

"Only us," he said hoarsely. "Just the two of us. Forever"

"Forever" she echoed. "You're mine, forever"

Their lips crashed together, and they fell back onto the bed, scrabbling at each other's clothes.

"Forever" She snarled, "And if anyone ever tries to get between us if anyone ever tries to steal you. I'll make them eat their fucking heart"

* * *

They lay there, tousled around each other, basking in the after-sex glow.

"Harry," she said hesitantly, "you've been very...overprotective, the last few days"

He cast his mind over their interactions since she had been woken up. He had been a bit fussy, but that was just cause she'd been injured.

He said as much, and she shook her head, dislodging him from her shoulder.

"Babe. You can't-you can't wrap me up like I'm made of glass. For fuck's sake, you tried to get out of telling me what they did to you!"

"I just-"

She sat up on her elbows and glared down at him.

"Harry. I told you when we first got together. Don't you dare treat me like some porcelain doll. Don't you fucking dare. I love you. You know that. And I know you love me. But you don't need to pretend I can't handle just as much as you"

"I-"

"If the Dark Lord tells you not to tell me something, that's one thing. But when you're keeping things from me to protect me, that makes me feel like I'm-like I'm a child. It's fucking patronizing, and you know full well that I can protect myself. The last few days, you've been acting like a fucking bodyguard. That's not what I want"

"You were almost dead! And I couldn't do anything! I just had to watch! How am I meant to not be all-all-overbearing?"

She stroked his chest gently, her sudden anger seeming to drain out of her.

"Oh, Harry. I had the same thing with you, you know. Just-there's no need to worry. I can take care of myself. And-and we both have Horcruxes. We literally cannot be killed"

"Unless someone destroys them" he muttered.

"Yeah, right," she said with a snort. "No-one knows we have them except the Dark Lord. And He doesn't want to kill us, does He?"

"No"

"And we never will give Him reason to. No-one else knows that we even have one, and so soon, we'll have a second"

"Yeah. But knowing that-that you would be fine. It didn't help, not when you were just lying there"

"That's just how it is. I'm not gonna stop fighting. And neither are you. We can't be killed. So if fuckups happen, and we end up unconscious for a bit, that's just how it is"

She poked him roughly. "And you don't really have room to talk, mister I'll be unconscious for five fucking weeks"

He laughed sheepishly. "Yeah. You're right. Listen. I'll-I'll try be less overprotective. But it's-it's hard. I just-"

"All I want," she interrupted, "us for you to accept that I can take care of myself at least as much as you can. I'm not talking about during a fight or something. I just mean like, you don't need to keep checking that I'm ok"

He sighed. "I'll try, babe. I'll keep it in mind, and I'll make an effort. Just-just give me a few days. Let me get over it. It was a big shock, you know"

They lay back down again, settling back into the mattress.

"So. We're gonna visit Capella when we get back?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah. After what the wolf did, I think she deserves some attention"

"Good. Because I was going to whether or not you would. And if I ever get my hands on him..."

"I'm sure he's dead," he said with a shrug. "I just let the fiendfyre burn. He could have apparated, but he wasn't exactly thinking clearly"

"I'm sure he wasn't. I'm surprised, actually. That you didn't tell him about his kid. That Bella killed it"

"I meant to" he admitted. "Just-after the second Crucio, I kinda lost track of where I was heading with it"

"I swear. I'll fucking kill that wolf"

"Maybe," He said softly, "you'll be able to let some of that frustration out on Capella. And then we're gonna take that Weasley girl for a bit"

"How long do you think she'll last?" She asked, intrigued.

He shrugged, again. "Depends, I guess. If we keep her for ourselves for a bit first or give her to the wolves straight away"

"How are we gonna do it? Use her to get her brothers, I mean"

He grinned at her, the low light making his eyes gleam.

"Photographs"

"Maybe," she said, speaking in a husky voice that set Harry's heart racing. "Maybe we can try out a few things with her. Things we've only ever talked about"

"Everything" he whispered, his hands moving as if in their own, pulling her close and turning her to face him. "Everything we can take"

* * *

The Dark Lord woke them up early the next morning, simply walking into their room and shooting off a loud bang from His wand.

Harry shot bolt upright, pulling the blanket off of them in his haste.

Daphne sat up a second later, seemingly caught between wanting to put her arms over her tits and not wanting to offend the Dark Lord in any way.

"We leave for England in ten minutes," He said, ignoring the two teens' nudity and confusion.

"Uh-my-my lord, I thought-"

The Dark Lord smiled at him. "I have an urgent appointment at Azkaban. You shall accompany me, Harry. It seems the trap has fallen"

* * *

 _Azkaban Prison, one hour previously._

The burly wizard glared them, his bushy eyebrows making a v in his forehead.

"Weren't expecting anyone today. We get told when people are coming"

Neville managed to hold himself from shifting nervously. "We don't argue when our Lord tells us to do something," he said, his enchanted voice sounding as strange to him as his assumed body looked, "Do you?"

The wizard's frown deepened. "I thought He's in America?"

' _Shit'_

His mind went totally blank. He stood there for a moment, feeling like he was standing in front of the Fat Lady and trying to remember the password.

Thankfully, he wasn't alone. He heard Ron pipe up.

"Yeah, But Bellatrix told us in his name. You want to be the one to tell her we couldn't do what we were told?"

"Fuck, no" the wizard muttered. "Go on. But if you're lying. I'll put you with the smugglers"

"The smugglers?" He asked, trying to sound interested.

"Yeah," the wizard said, spitting to the side, "those smugglers. Taking mudbloods and their families to Africa. Assholes, the lot of them"

Neville forced himself to laugh, trying to sound as nasty as he could.

"Good thing you've got them here, in their proper place"

The guard unlocked the gate and ushered them in. "Their proper place would be in the fucking ocean. But no, we've got to give off appearances of being all humane and shit. Worse than animals. Where're your Marks?"

This time, Hermione came to the rescue, her voice sounding as ugly as the hag she had based her appearance off of.

"Don't have them yet. He wanted us to prove ourselves first. Hopefully, when he gets back from America, we'll get them"

The guard rubbed his arm. "See how hopeful you are when your friends are screaming. Alright. Straight through, left at the end of the first cell block, down the stairs on your right"

"Thanks"

The guard just nodded absently and sat back at his desk, picking up his magazine again.

Neville had seen some horrific things in his life. He'd been present at the Battle of Hogwarts and seen the blood and gore and death.

He'd seen the terrible pictures that graced the Daily Prophet these days.

But nothing had prepared him for what he saw in the first cell block of Azkaban prison.

The stench of human waste filled the air. As they walked past the rows of cells, the prisoners within drew back from the bars, whimpering and moaning. He could hear pleading, begging cries filling the air as they walked past.

He kept his eyes trained forward, on the cold stone coming up to meet his shoes. But from the corners of his eyes, he caught snatches of things that he knew would give him nightmares for the rest of his life.

The few prisoners he saw were emaciated beyond what he would think people could survive, with their bones all visible through their skin. They were covered in cuts and bruises, and their bones seemed to have been broken and badly set.

He kept his eyes forward, ignoring the sounds around him.

' _This is how we'll help you. We can't break you all out, but we'll destroy his Horcruxes'_ he swore to himself.

It was a relief to get out of that corridor, to go down the dark stairwell and into the room where the prisoners' possessions were kept.

Even though what he saw was heartbreaking, it was still a relief.

Someone had obviously tried to keep track of all the inmates' stuff. There were rows of shelves with boxes on them, all neatly labeled.

They had tried to keep track but clearly had given up.

Below the rows of shelves, there were mounds of people's things. There were clothes and books, wands and shoes, all piled haphazardly together.

He couldn't tear his eyes away from a doll that was perched atop a pile, some child's treasured toy, tossed onto the rest.

' _Destroy the Horcruxes'_ he reminded himself. ' _Destroy the Horcrux. That's what I'm here for. That's all I can do'_

"We need to find the secret floor," he said shakily. "Any ideas"

Ron immediately stepped up to one of the walls and began running his hands over it, as if he was trying to find a switch or a button.

"Hermione," Neville said, finally turning away from the doll, "any ideas?"

She was standing next to one of the boxes, her hand stroking the name.

"Hermione?" He asked, worriedly.

"This-this says Burbage. C Burbage. Pro-Professor Burbage taught at Hogwarts," she explained, still not looking away. Ron turned back from the wall, frowning.

"Professor Charity Burbage," she said, with a hitch in her voice. "She-she taught Muggle Studies. She-she must be here. She-she was so nice. And-and she's here. But-"

"Hermione! We-we can't do this now! We have to do what we're here for!"

She looked at him, her eyes swimming with tears. Ron put his arm around her shoulder and whispered to her.

"I-you're right, Nev. just-just give me a minute"

He nodded and turned away as she shoved her head into Ron's chest.

After a few minutes, he heard her give a great shuddering breath.

"Ok. Ok. Let's-let's find it"

She began muttering, waving her wand around in strange and complex patterns.

She growled, holding her wand ramrod straight.

And an outline of a door appeared on the wall.

"And we just-just go in?" He asked, uncertainly.

She nodded, looking at him.

He kept his mind from gibbering as he walked forward and pushed the wall.

It swung open, as easily as any door would.

They followed him in, down the flight of stairs.

He pushed open the heavy stone door at the bottom, bracing his legs against the floor and pushing with all his light until it moved

And they entered the cavern.

Light shone off of the stone walls from no perceivable source, and cold seemed to emanate from the very floor.

And the room was entirely empty.

"It's-its gotta be in here somewhere. Invisible or something"

The walked in and spread out, searching through the room.

And the door slammed closed behind them making them all jump and spin around.

' _Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck'_

"Hermione" he called, ignoring his rising panic.

She nodded and began waving her wand at the door.

"It's-I can't do anything! I can't open it!"

Ron ran over to it and began trying to pull, his muscles flexing.

' _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck'_

"We need to Apparate. Ron! Come, we need to Apparate"

He looked over at Hermione and wasn't surprised to see her face and body shifting, to see the polyjuice and glamour charms wearing off.

A second later, he felt it himself, as his bones began to shrink and weight and muscles disappeared off of him.

"This-this was a trap" Hermione whispered through her hands. "He-he planned this"

Ron fell over. "Apparation isn't working! It's not working!"

Hermione pulled the broken quill out of her robes. Ron scurried up from the floor and drew near.

"Come on, Neville! We need to go before-before someone comes!"

He gulped and touches his finger to it.

"Escape," Hermione said firmly.

Nothing happened.

"Escape! Escape! Escape!"

Neville spun around, removing his hand from the useless portkey.

He growled out an incantation, and his blasting hex collided harmlessly with the walls.

"We're-we're fucked" he heard Ron whisper. "We're trapped"

Ron collapsed against the wall and began to shake. "We're trapped! We need to get out of here! Come on, Hermione! Get us out of here!"

' _I led us into this. This is my fault'_

"Hermione," He said softly, "is there anything you can do?"

She turned toward him, teary-eyed and pale-faced.

"Something? Anything?"

She nodded slowly and took a deep breath.

And then began waving her wand around like crazy, speaking too fast for them to hear.

She ended whatever she was doing with an upward flick of her wand and a muttered "revelio!"

Blue lines began appearing all over the room, covering the walls, the roof, the floor.

Runes began appearing, glowing with that same blue light, all connected to the lines.

"Wards?"

She nodded, looking even grimmer than she had until then.

"Containment wards. And-and I can barely even recognize half of the runes. I don't know. I don't know what to do, I've never deconstructed a ward before, I've only ever read about it, and never about anything like this. I don't know what to do!"

Neville flinched at her shrill voice as it rose and shook.

"Hermione. Hermione. If there's anyone who can, it's you. There must be something you can do"

She looked at Ron while he spoke, biting her lip.

"I don't-if I mess up. It could-it could turn the air in here poisonous, or set it on fire, or-"

"It's nothing worse than what Voldemort will do," Neville said. "Please. Do whatever you can"

She nodded. "Try-try sending a Patronus. While I'm doing it. To-to Grindelwald. Try"

He and Ron both raised their wands as she began twirling her own.

He was focusing on happy memories, thinking of Luna, of the few, rare compliments his grandmother gave him when they heard them.

Footsteps, echoing from outside the door. Drawing nearer.

They all turned, coming to face the door, gripping their wands.

"We attack," he whispered, swallowing thickly. "Maybe-maybe we'll get a chance to run"

And the door burst open.

Before any of them even had a chance to shout out a spell, Voldemort had flicked his wand.

He rose into the air, his limbs splaying out, his wand flying from his hand. He caught glimpses of Ron and Hermione in the same positions.

And he knew that they had lost.

Voldemort stepped into the room with unnatural grace, and Potter followed him in.

As much as Voldemort was the more horrifying of the two, it was Potter who drew Neville's eyes.

Potter looked...changed. His face looked harsher, his features seeming to run into each other. The sclera of his eyes were reddish.

And he twitched as he grinned at them, the scars on his face pulling against his lips.

"What have we here?" Voldemort asked, making Neville shudder at the sound of his voice.

"Perhaps," he continued, as he took a step forward and gripped Ron's chin, "they should explain themselves"

Neville saw Ron shaking, could see a dark patch spreading on his robes as Voldemort stared into his eyes.

"Well. That was illuminating. Perhaps the mudblood has something to add?"

"Don't you touch her!"

Voldemort turned back toward Ron at his outburst.

"Harry. End this one"

Potter stepped forward, stroking his wand lovingly. "Thank you, my lord," he said, and the sound of his voice grated across Neville's skin much as his master's had.

Potter raised his wand, pointing it at Ron, ignoring Hermione's cried pleas.

"Praefoco"

Ron started shaking violently, his legs kicking out aimlessly, his arms scratching at his throat.

' _This is my fault. This is my fault. I led us into this. All my fault'_

"RON! NOOO! STOP IT! PLEASE!"

Potter didn't even turn his head away from Ron. If anything, he moved closer, staring into Ron's face.

' _He wants to see him as he dies'_

Neville felt his stomach churning, felt the bile rising.

He didn't try to hold it back. He vomited, the puke splattering across the floor.

Voldemort looked at him for a second and smiled.

"You're going to die, Weasley. Draco isn't here to save you this time. You're going to die. I'm going to watch you die"

Potter giggled as he spoke, the little of his face that Neville could see twitching like crazy.

Hermione started crying, screaming out threats along with her begging.

And Potter lowered his wand, breathing deeply.

Ron fell onto the floor, limp and boneless.

Neville's mind went totally, completely blank. Thought fled, as he looked into his best friend's sightless eyes.

' _This is my fault. I led us into this. My fault'_

"Thank you, my lord. Thank you"

Voldemort smiled at Potter for a second, before snatching Hermione's chin in a whip-quick movement.

"Let us see what the mudblood knows"

He kept his eyes closed, only hearing her whimpers as Voldemort invaded her thoughts.

' _I wish I had told Luna I loved her one last time'_

"What a pity. You had such a mind, mudblood. It is truly a pity you set yourself against me. Avada Kedavra"

The green light illuminated the darkness behind his eyelids.

He tried to think of Luna, wishing she could somehow feel the love he was sending toward her.

He couldn't keep the hot tears from flooding onto his face.

Couldn't keep the shudder from shaking him when he heard a thump of a body landing on the floor.

' _This is all my fault'_

And then fingers curled around his chin, and his head was lifted off of his chest.

Against his will, his eyes opened, meeting the fires burning within Voldemort's head.

He screamed, as his mind was raped. As memory after memory flashed before his eyes. He saw Dumbledore, showing him memories and talking about Horcruxes. He saw Dumbledore's letter to him.

He saw himself destroying the Cup.

He saw himself torturing the Russian Death Eater.

He saw his parents in their hospital gowns, his grandmother on her rocking chair, Luna on his bed.

And then it was over. Through a veil of tears, he saw Voldemort sneering at him.

"Dumbledore thought you could defeat me? You, who could not even keep your friends alive? You, who led them to their deaths?"

He could hear Potter giggling. He could feel the blood rushing through his veins, his every heartbeat sounding in his ears.

"Perhaps I will send your parents to join you in eternity. And your grandmother. And your little girlfriend"

His eyes shot open again, to see Voldemort raising his wand.

"Or perhaps I will give them to my wolves," he said softly. "You shouldn't have set yourself against me. Avada Kedavra"

There was a flash of green, and Neville Longbottom knew no more.

 **AS ALWAYS: REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW**


	10. Chapter 8

**AN: I OWN NOTHING**

 **PLEASE REVIEW/P.M. ME**

 **ENJOY!**

 **WARNING: RAPE**

 **HAVEN'T ALREADY, YOU SHOULD READ MY ONE-SHOT: IN HER IMAGE.**

Chapter 8

"All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy. That's how far the world is from where I am. Just one bad day."—Alan Moore-Batman: The Killing Joke

"Hear the loud alarum bells -

Brazen bells!

What a tale of terror, now, their turbulency tells!"—Edgar Allan Poe-The Bells

* * *

Making a second Horcrux was a lot easier than his first.

It still hurt beyond anything else, ripping a piece of his soul out and jamming it into the ruby Daphne had provided, but the process as a whole seemed to go quicker and smoother.

And then he had a second one, a second link to eternal life.

He turned the ruby over in his hands, the chain it was attached to clinking gently.

It was lit up from within, glowing with a dull light.

' _I hold my soul in my hand'_

It glinted, seeming to wink at him.

He focused on his connection to Daphne, determining her location.

She was at the Greengrass' manor, that much he could tell.

And then he felt her moving.

He stood up, making his way downstairs, opening the front door just before she stretched out her hand.

He stared for a moment, entranced.

The changes the last Horcrux had made to her appearance had been exacerbated by her creation of the next one. Her nose seemed flatter than it had before, her eyes a brighter red, her features harder.

It all just brought her beauty out more.

She held her hand out wordlessly, a ruby on a chain dangling from it.

He raised his own with a grin.

"Will you-will you wear it?" He asked, suddenly nervous.

"Only if you'll wear mine"

She turned, pulling her hair in front of her face.

With trembling hands, he fastened it around her neck.

She stroked his neck as she tied hers onto him, giving a kiss to the back of his head before she pulled away.

It felt warm against his skin. Warm, comforting, welcome.

"I think we should celebrate, don't you?"

He nodded.

"Well then. Let's go see Capella"

* * *

Capella was barely recognizable as having once been Tonks.

The woman who used to smile and joke with Harry was gone, replaced by this creature who kneeled in the center of the room, trying to make herself as small as possible.

She kept turning her head with skittish motions, glancing at Harry and Daphne before darting her gaze away.

"It's...impressive, what you've done with her" Daphne said, causing Bella to laugh happily.

"Thank you, dear. She's been a bit of a burden, but it'll all be worth it soon"

The scars and burns covering Capella's body didn't hide the words on her chest. Harry couldn't really make them out, not clearly, but he knew what they said.

' _Nice of Bella to let us play with her toys'_

He said as much. Bella clapped her hands together lightly and scowled at him.

"I've only been offering since I got her. It's a pity you didn't come earlier when she had more spirit. But it's still fun now. She's close"

On the floor, Capella shook, the collar around her neck pulling at the chain and making it jangle.

"Close?" Harry asked.

"Close to finally accepting who she is. Probably another few weeks"

"Well," Daphne said lightly, laughter bubbling under her voice, "good thing we came now"

"Exactly. Next thing you know, it'll be too late"

Capella let out a little whimper.

"You're welcome to share ours when we get her," Harry said, still not looking up from the miserable figure, "I think we'll only be getting her next week. And we're definitely gonna be using some of your ideas"

"You're so sweet," Bella whispered, "but I'm sure I'll be busy with Capella. I'll help you get her settled in though if you want?"

They both nodded.

"Now. Rules. No killing her. No breaking her. No calling her by that old monstrosity of a name. Her name is Capella. And try not to injure her in ways that I can't heal. When she finally accepts it, I want her in good physical shape"

Harry and Daphne nodded.

Bella drew closer to them and whispered, barely audible.

"She thinks her wolf is dead. Keep it that way"

"You'll be good for them, won't you, Capella?"

Capella whimpered and tried to scuttle away from them.

"Have fun"

"We will"

Bellatrix left the room, closing the door behind her.

As they advanced on Capella, she turned her head towards them, moving in strange, jerky motions.

And she started to beg.

"Please. Please. Please. Please. Kill me. Kill me. Break me, kill me. Please. Please. I'll do anything, just kill me. Please"

Harry and Daphne looked at each, and both burst out laughing.

"Well. That's pretty erotic" she said softly. "Let's get started, shall we? Crucio!"

And Capella screamed.

* * *

They lay together, her head on his chest, his hands reaching over and cupping her tits.

Capella's entreating cries still echoed in his ears, making his cock twitch.

They hadn't bothered washing the blood off of themselves before they ended up in bed. It had dried, leaving smears across their hands and faces.

"You think Bella will really get her to do it?"

He thought about it, remembering Capella's screams.

"Yeah. She'll do it. She'll do anything to get away from her situation"

Daphne shifted, moving her hand to pull the necklace until the ruby was hanging between her breasts again.

"You wanna try something like that? With Ginny?"

"Na," He said, shaking his head. "Don't have the patience"

"Figured as much"

He started stroking the jewel hanging around her neck.

"Are we being stupid? Keeping these with us? If we get caught in fiendfyre, or if a Killing Curse hits us right there..."

"It's fine. Even if that happens, we still have the other one. And in another few months, we'll have even more. How many can we make, anyway?"

"I'll have to check with Him. But I don't know if we can make more than seven"

"What would you want to use, as your next one?"

"Not really sure. I was thinking of just using a galleon, something no-one could ever figure out"

"Smart. And you could just put it in the new bank, once Draco gets it running"

"Yeah. Just leave it there. You?"

"Absolutely no clue. Probably just do that. It sounds pretty good"

"I had a lot of heirlooms and stuff, in my Gringotts vault. I'd love to use one of them. But..."

He shrugged, helplessly. His vault, like those of all the publicly known Death Eaters, had been confiscated, the contents shared between the goblins and the ministry.

"Speak to Draco. That's what they're working on, trying to get our stuff back together"

"Yeah. I should. Haven't really hung out with him for ages. Or Blaise. Or even Crabbe and Goyle"

She smiled impishly up at him.

"What, have I been taking you away from your friends?"

"Between you and the Dark Lord, I've been pretty busy"

"Well, you should spend time with them. With Draco. You know, Tori's sure he's gonna propose"

"Really?"

She nodded, her hair rubbing up over his chest and making his toes curl.

"She says once things calm down with the bank. And apparently, they've just found a bunch of records in the Gringotts ruins, so it shouldn't be too long"

He whistled softly. "Wow"

"You feeling the pressure?" She asked, her fingers started to toy with his thighs.

"Not in the least," he said with a snort.

Her fingers stopped their caressing.

"Seriously?"

"Don't get me wrong. I just think it's dumb. What the fuck do we need to get married for? You literally have a piece of my soul around your neck! You-we're Marked as each others'. What do we need to stand in front of a crowd and make promises for? It's not gonna change our relationship"

She began rubbing again, her hand slowly making its way higher.

"It's not for us, silly. It's for everyone else. For them to see. And to make it official"

"Who cares about everyone else?"

"We pretend to. And anyway, it's a chance to have a party and make everyone give us presents"

"Not till the war's over"

"No. And not till you give me an actual proposal"

He rolled his eyes.

"Fine"

"Besides. It'll be good for the kids when we have. For their parents to be married, I mean"

"And that won't be for a long time. Kids, I mean"

"Why not?"

"I just-I'm just-"

He sat up suddenly, pulling back and causing her head to fall onto the mattress.

"Sorry. I just-I don't think I'm anywhere near ready. To be a responsible parent"

"Bullshit. You'd be a great father"

He held up his hands, Capella's blood flaking off from under his nails.

"Would I? Really?"

She followed his gaze and gave a sigh.

"You'd be fine. You wouldn't do that to them"

"How can you be sure?"

"Because you're worried about it. And because you'd have a lot more fun teaching them how to do it"

"That's...probably right, actually"

Her hand started moving again.

"Oh, Harry," she said huskily, repositioning herself on top of him, "I'm always right"

* * *

He settled into the armchair, his feet resting comfortably on a small footstool.

Draco bent forward in his own chair, massaging his leg furiously with a scowl on his face.

"They still hurt?"

The blonde growled and leaned back.

"Only when I've been standing for hours. I tell you, I'll be beyond glad when we're done in those fucking ruins"

"I'll drink to that" Harry said, raising his glass.

Draco clinked his own to it, making the firewhisky throw up sparks.

"How much longer do you think it'll take?"

"Fucked if I know. We just found their treasure ledgers, but they're written in Gobbledegook. And then coded. And Gobbledegook doesn't work well with translation spells, so we have to wait for this old guy to read through them before we can work on the codes"

"Damn"

"Got that right. It took a month and a half to work through the money ledgers. Even with all the organization charms, still took that long. Fucking goblins"

"At least you don't have to deal with them"

Draco snorted. "I'd sooner slit my wrists"

"You haven't opened yet, right? The temporary one, I mean"

Draco shook his head.

"We've said next month. I think we'll make it, to be honest. The money...the money's easy enough. We know how to make galleons, and we've started replacing the ones that were lost, refilling people's accounts to what they were. The heirlooms and stuff. Those are a different story entirely"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. We found all the stuff in the ministry. But the goblins locked up the ones they kept tight. Real tight. And none of us really know much about goblin magic. Even the old Gringotts curse-breakers, the guys who're working for us now, they don't know these things. So we have to go real, real slow. Don't want to set off any traps"

"That's for sure"

Draco drank deeply, one of his eyes spinning around, the other one focused on Harry.

"We're planning on opening for real next year. Use Gringotts' premises. And after that, I'm gonna propose to Tori"

"Congratulations. Mate, seriously. It's awesome. You and Tori, you guys really go well together"

Draco smiled, his entire face brightening up, the bags below his eyes seeming to vanish for a moment.

"Thanks. She's-she's amazing. I just feel so-so-so comfortable with her, you know?"

Harry nodded. "Like you don't have to put on a mask. You don't have to think about what you're gonna say or do next the whole time"

"Exactly" he shook his head ruefully, clicking his tongue. "Merlin, Harry. How the fuck did we get to be so lucky?"

He thought about Blaise, how he walked around all sullen and depressed. When he was even around.

"I don't know. I'm just happy that we are"

"Yeah. I-I want you to be Best Man. I know it's still in ages. But-"

"Do you even have to ask? Of course, I'll do it. As long as you'll do the same for me?"

Draco started chuckling.

"God, we've become sappy bastards, haven't we?"

"I blame you"

"Well, you would. We've come fucking far, haven't we? From those two boys in Madam Malkin's"

"I don't think they'd even recognize us"

"No," Draco said, raising his glass to Harry's again, "they wouldn't"

They drank in a comfortable silence.

"You seen Blaise lately? I haven't seen him since before America"

Draco sighed, looking morosely into the empty fireplace.

"Yeah. He's doing better. But he-he needs to get out. I think you should take him with when you go to the Weasleys. Have him do something. Take his mind off of things a bit, maybe"

"That," Harry said, considering it, "could be an excellent plan"

* * *

"Wow," Harry said, looking around and crinkling his nose, "we always used to mock Ron about his hovel of a home. Never knew it was actually this bad"

At the sound of her son's name, the mother gave a moan and almost fell. She leaned against her husband, her whole body shaking.

The surviving Weasleys were standing together in a line, father, mother, two sons, and daughter.

Standing disarmed and magically held in place in their shithole of a house, facing a group of Death Eaters.

"You know, don't you?" He said with delight. "Somehow, you know"

"Please," the father said, "please, we haven't-"

"Shut up. You don't get to talk if I don't let"

He swallowed, sweat dripping down his forehead.

His sons glared at Harry as if they were basilisks. But they had nothing on the pure rage in their sister's gaze.

' _This is going to be so much fun'_ he thought, his pulse quickening.

"Yeah. Ron's dead. He was caught breaking into Azkaban. No doubt trying to free some of the inmates. Terrible to see how badly you raised your kids. Really sad"

The assembled Death Eaters laughed, as Mrs. Weasley shook with her great sobs.

"In fact," Harry said, raising the sack he held, "I decided to be nice. To let you all see him one last time"

And he withdrew the rotting head from the sack. He raised it up by the hair, lifting it high for the Weasleys to see before dropping it on the dining room table.

Immediately, the sons and daughter started screaming, shouting out curses and insults and threats, and the mother's eyes rolled up into the back of her skull as she fainted.

Harry calmly pointed his wand at the bitch. "Ennervate"

Her eyes opened again.

"Someone shut them up"

He heard Blaise and Daphne casting the silencing spells.

"You don't get to faint. You don't get to miss the fun"

He breathed in deeply, savoring the moment.

"Now. You've proven to be pretty shitty parents. One son dead for mouthing off to the Dark Lord, another dead in rebellion. Two joined Grindelwald. And that cunt," he pointed at the older son, the one with the gaudy earring, "was part of a group of Order of the Phoenix fuckers who attacked us"

He turned to Blaise.

"That one. The oldest son. He helped them. He helped kill Theo"

Blaise didn't even wait a second.

"Crucio!"

After a bit, Harry stopped him.

"Don't want to break him too early, do you?"

Blaise just scowled at him.

"So. I think I'm going to kill you all. Slowly and painfully. Won't that be nice?"

He laughed at their expressions, at the tears pouring down the father's face.

"Seriously. We told you all. Fight against us, and you and your families will die. We weren't joking. And your family has done a lot. Ain't that right, Blaise?"

Blaise growled, raising his wand again.

"Crucio!"

Again, Harry waited a bit before interrupting Blaise.

"Don't worry. There'll be plenty of time for all of that. And for all of you. Hell, we could keep you all for months until you break. Or until we get bored of you"

The mother fainted again.

With a sigh, he resuscitated her.

"Or. Or, Ginny can come with us. Of course, we'll do all sorts of terrible things to her. She'll beg us to kill her long before we actually do. It's up to her, really"

He stared at her as she cried soundlessly.

He fancied he could see the debate in her mind.

"But," he continued, "she'd be saving you all from such torment. I wonder how brave she is. How much she loves you all"

She stared back at him with such delicious hatred in her eyes.

"I swear to you, Ginny. Give yourself to us, and I won't kill them. I won't hurt them. But choose to be selfish, and I swear to you, I will make them curse your name"

He saw it, the moment she decided. When resignation and fear crossed her face for a second before hatred again replaced them.

"Finite"

The Death Eaters around had their wands raised, pointed at the family as they cried and shouted, as the father and mother gripped their daughter's arm and spoke urgently, begging and pleading with her.

"Ginny. Ginny. D-d-don't do this. Ple-"

"Shut up, Weasley. I removed the spells so that you could say goodbye to her. Anything else, and you lose your chance"

"Maybe you'll lose your tongue, too"

"Hush, Blaise. Give them a chance"

The Death Eaters stepped back, giving the family a chance to hug and kiss her.

' _And try to talk her out of it'  
_

He was expecting it when the one brother tried to throw something at them.

Before whatever it was even left his hand he was stunned.

"Time's up. Come, Ginny."

She walked over to them slowly, her feet dragging like they had weights tied to them.

' _Not yet they don't'_

He gripped her by the hair the second she was close enough, pulling her head back, exposing her neck.

"We are going to have so much fun," he hissed, ignoring the mother's wails. "We're going to fucking ruin you, bitch"

She didn't say a word.

He punched her in the belly and she tried to double over, her breath coming in wheezes.

Dimly, he heard shouting, then body-binds being cast.

Then silence.

"Stupid cunt. Diffindo. Diffindo. Diffindo"

She started kicking out like crazy, spinning around and trying to punch him as she spat out curses and her clothes were sliced off of her.

"Fucking cunt. Parzala Degarmi! Parzala Degarmi!"

She screamed as her legs broke, falling out from under her.

Harry yanked her hair.

"I never said you could sit on the floor. Get up, bitch. Get up"

She just sat there, her legs splayed out in front of her, her tits shaking as she screamed and cried.

"Get the fuck up or else"

"MY LEGS! I CANT! I CANT!"

He whispered it into her ear, his wand poking her between her ribs.

"Crucio"

She started shaking even worse than before, her screams burrowing into his ears, making his cock harden.

He ended the curse and vanished her clothes before she even stopped shaking.

"Hey. Daph. Should we fuck her here? Or wait till we're at home?"

"NO! Y-Y-YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE! YOU SL-SLIMY PIECE OF-"

He heard the smile in Daphne's voice as she incanted.

"Crucio!"

He let go of her hair, letting her roll around and smash her head.

He just stared into her siblings' and parents' faces as they stood there, unable to move, unable to look away.

He giggled.

Eventually, the screams died down.

He turned to look at her.

She lay on the floor, vomit next to her face, piss running down her legs.

Her body still shook.

"Na," Daphne said, "let's take her home"

He reached down and grabbed the bitch's hair, pausing for a moment to slap her across the face.

"Stand up. Or we go for another round"

And she did. Sobbing, shaking, almost falling a few times.

But she stood.

And she screamed and screamed and screamed, standing on her broken legs.

He slapped her again, hard enough to leave a bright red handprint against her already blotchy face.

"Stop screaming. Or it'll be a lot worse"

She did, looking like she was going to pass out.

"Wave goodbye to them. To your family"

He laughed.

"Don't you want to blow them a kiss? You're never gonna see them again"

He patted her on the head when she was done.

"Good. Good. Blaise, you're up"

Blaise's wand flashed.

"Avada Kedavra"

And her brother fell dead, the Killing Curse ending the body-bind and letting his body crash to the floor.

"Avada Kedavra"

The mother was next.

"Y-y-you s-s-said you w-wouldn't. Y-you s-s-swore"

He looked at her with a grin.

"I swore that I wouldn't hurt or kill them. And I haven't. Blaise is doing it"

"Avada Kedavra!"

The father fell, looking relieved as he died.

He giggled as her legs gave out, as a clump of her hair was left in his fist.

"Y-y-you're a m-m-monster"

He put his face right in front of hers, staring into her eyes.

He heard Blaise casting the torture curse.

His tongue lapped out and caught a tear.

"I guess I am. Isn't that a surprise"

As he stood up, he kicked her in the face, her nose crunching as it broke.

"Avada Kedavra!"

The last one died.

"Daph, will you get some pictures, please?"

"Of course"

She walked past him and started clicking away, taking photographs from all different angles.

"Get one from outside also, please. With the Mark above this shithole"

"Sure"

"Now, Ginny. Let's go to your new home. We've got some work to do. Luckily, Bella's willing to help"

He gripped her arm tightly, his nails biting into her skin. And with a crack, they were gone.

* * *

He stroked her bleeding back, letting his fingers dig into the deep furrows the whip had left.

She kept tensing, trying to move. But she was tied down far too tightly to allow for that.

Her legs, splinters of broken bone poking through the skin, were splayed wide, pushing her ass up on the table, displaying her holes. Her arms fastened to the opposite side of the table she was bent over.

"H-how can you just-just-just treat people like this?"

She sounded different, without her teeth. The words seemed mushy.

It was a pity that she was bent forward. That she wouldn't be able to focus on the word carved into her chest.

' _Bella's a fucking genius'_

"It's very easy," he said, letting his hands roam lower. "There's nothing to stop me"

"I'm going to kill you" she tried to threaten, although the menacing tone was ruined by her sobs, "I swear. One day-"

He and Daphne laughed.

"Somehow, I really, really doubt that. Even if you somehow survive, somehow have enough strength to try, I really doubt you'll succeed"

"If-if-if I don't, Fred and George will. They'll kill you. They'll fucking kill you, you-"

She stopped talking suddenly, taking in a deep breath as he pushed his cock up against her virgin ass.

"If you get any shit on me," he warned, "you're gonna lick it off. It's not like I have to worry about your teeth, do I?"

"Pl-please. Please. Please don't. Please"

Her begging grew more frantic, her cries becoming more urgent, as he pushed his way into her.

"PLEASE! STOP! PLEASE!"

His hands found their way around her throat as he thrust, and he heard her cries cease.

"Shut. Up. Whore"

Each word punctuated with the sound of his flesh pounding into hers.

He let go of her neck, and in the instant, she began coughing, seized her hair and slammed her face into the table.

He could feel it building within him, his muscles beginning to tense as the explosion drew near.

And he heard Daphne giggling, and saw her wand poking the bitch right between the eyes.

"Crucio!"

Her body tensed, everything tightening and shaking as she screamed and cried, and it threw him over the edge.

He thrust in, as deeply as he could, and let his seed flow into her.

His stolen orgasm seemed to end at the same time her screaming did, and he pulled out, his dripping member softening.

He looked down at it and laughed.

"Looks like you've got work to do. Open your mouth, whore"

She shook her bloody, tear-streaked face while he walked in front of her, her mouth kept resolutely shut.

Daphne raised her wand again.

"If you don't do it, we'll hurt you some more. And if you do, maybe we'll heal your legs"

* * *

The next month seemed to fly past in a haze of blood, screams and the click of the camera, with Harry and Daphne spending almost all day toying with Ginny.

Almost, but not quite.

* * *

"I want to celebrate," Bellatrix said, staring at him unnervingly, "she's finally come round"

"Really? Damn. That's amazing"

Bella preened, looking chuffed.

"Thanks. Of course, I'm still going to keep her there until she proves herself. But once she does, can I bring her to play with your toy?"

He glanced at Daphne for a moment. She nodded, a small smile playing at her lips.

"Yeah. I'm not sure what we're gonna do with her once we've set the trap, but if it's before then, definitely"

Bella hummed to herself for a second, looking thoughtful.

"When do you think it will be?"

"He said another week or so. He wants to wait till His manor is sorted out so that we've got somewhere to run if we need to. And He wants to make sure there'll be some vampires here, in case Grindelwald brings Inferi"

Bella nodded, staring at him again.

"Well, I don't think we'll be done before then. Can't you just keep her? They're much more fun if you're training them for something, anyway"

"Harry says he's not patient enough. We were thinking of letting Crabbe and Goyle take over afterward. If we don't just give her to the wolves"

"Don't let the beasts keep her. She won't last a day. They have no concept of self-control. Let the idiots have her. Please?"

Daphne just smiled while Bella went on, undeterred.

"Please? It'll be good for Capella. And I'm sure the idiots will like her. Surely there wasn't a girl stupid enough to fuck them at Hogwarts?"

"They already do like her. And so do the wolves. She actually seems to prefer the wolves"

"Then it should be obvious who you give her to!"

Harry started chuckling, scratching at the scar on his face as he spoke. "Bella, we're just fucking with you. We already told Crabbe and Goyle they could have her. So if they let, then it's fine. Although we did tell them to share, so they probably will"

Bella clapped softly, a mad smile covering her face.

"Excellent. Excellent. Now, I must go. I've got a lead on the Secret Keeper, and if I want to get the mudblood, I can't let this one slip through"

And with that, the lunatic witch left.

* * *

Her one eye was unfocused as it looked at them.

"I said: won't that be nice, bitch?"

She nodded slowly.

His wand flashed, and a patch of skin on her cheek the size of his palm began to bubble up, skin melting as it boiled.

"Shut the fuck up!"

She did, her face purpling as she swallowed her screams.

"We left you your tongue so that you could still speak. Tell us. Won't that be nice?"

Her voice sounded rough, dry and half-dead.

A far cry from the energetic screams she had been giving off seconds before.

"Yes, sir"

"You miss your brothers, don't you?"

"Yes, ma'am"

"What are they?"

Her throat worked soundlessly for a few seconds, her voice only emerging as he raised his wand.

"Worthless blood traitors!"

"Whose fault is it, that you're here? That we've ruined you?"

"Theirs"

"If we tell you to hurt them, what will you do?"

She started crying, tears flooding out of her eye and filling the cuts on her face.

"I'll-I'll-I'll-"

"If we tell you to hurt them or else we hurt you, what will you do?"

Again, his wand began to rise, and the words tumbled out of her mouth.

"Hurt them"

"Good. Good"

* * *

"W-water?"

He looked at Daphne. "Did you feed her yesterday?"

"Weren't you meant to?"

"Oh"

He conjured a glass, and a wordless aguamenti later, it was full, condensation beginning to form on the outside of the glass.

"Do you deserve it?"

She sobbed, her hand held out beseechingly.

"What do you think, Daph? Does she deserve it?"

Daphne nodded, smiling at her and patting her on the head.

"Sharptooth says that eight wolves left satisfied last night. I think she does"

"Wow. Fuck, but you're a whore. Here you go, whore"

Her trembling hand reached out to take the glass.

And he smashed it into her face.

He heard the camera click, and he turned to look at the picture as it developed.

It had captured the moment perfectly, the look of shock and confusion written clearly across her face as blood poured down from the shards of glass stuck into her.

"Pl-pl-please. W-w-water"

He conjured another glass and filled it.

Again, she reached out a trembling hand.

This time, he let her take it.

"Good girl. If we see a healer, we'll send them to you"

And they left the room, her broken, hopeless sobs following them out.

* * *

They stood, hand-in-hand, watching as the owl disappeared into the evening sky, its parcel swinging below it.

"You think they'll take it?"

He nodded. "Remember what Horatio said? The elves collect the mail and check it for curses and stuff. They'll give it to the fuckers"

She stood on her toes and kissed him, her tongue darting out to lick up a drop of blood that was drying on his cheek.

"This is gonna be so much fun"

He smiled and hugged her close, as the owl continued towards Scotland, and night began to fall.

 **AS ALWAYS: REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW.**


	11. Interlude III

**AN: I OWN NOTHING**

 **PLEASE REVIEW/P.M. ME**

 **ENJOY!**

Interlude III

 _Villa Zabini_

Chiara Zabini knocked at her son's bedroom door and sighed when there was no answer.

She waited a minute before knocking again.

This time, he called out, bidding her to enter.

She opened the door, eyes only widening minutely at the sight of a dead, naked man on the floor.

"Would it really kill you to clean up after yourself?"

He just shrugged, not turning away from the window, his buttocks gleaming in the morning light.

"Or to put on some clothes?"

He laughed, coughing as he exhaled a cloud of smoke.

"You really don't get to talk, mother. One of my earliest memories is walking in on you and number three"

"You were four years old. Are you going to keep bringing that up forever?"

He shrugged again, still not turning to look at her.

"You know, if you keep doing this, it'll be a lot harder to find a wizard willing to come home with you. Believe me. I know"

Finally, he turned around, walking over to the corpse and giving it a kick.

"I do know. And that's why this was a muggle. Not someone any of our crowd will notice gone"

She sat down on his bed, her eyes roaming his body clinically, ignoring the Mark and the older burns and cuts.

She kept her sigh of relief internal when she couldn't notice any new injuries.

"Blaise. Please. You need to talk to someone. One of your friends, or-"

He snorted, giving the muggle another kick.

"Who? Tell me, mother. Which of my friends aren't too busy with their own partners to talk to me?"

"You-"

"Harry's with Daphne, and if he wasn't, I still wouldn't talk to him. Not about this. Draco's with Astoria, when he isn't at the bank. Tracey vanished. Crabbe and Goyle are idiots, and Millicent's almost as bad. And Theo's dead. So who the fuck should I talk to?"

"Is there really no-one else?" She asked softly, watching his eyes carefully.

"No," he said, and his eyes darted to the left.

' _Bingo'_

"Really? I find that hard to believe"

"I'm telling you-"

"Blaise. Mio caro. Have you ever managed to lie to me?"

He kicked the muggle again, ignoring her.

"Have you?"

"No," he said sullenly, reaching for his wand.

She watched in silence, as

He transfigured and vanished

the corpse.

She waited for him to say something, but after a

few minutes, it became clear he wouldn't.

"What's his name?"

He muttered something, as he started pulling some clothes on.

"I'm sorry. I didn't hear that? What's his name, Blaise?"

"Horatio"

He looked up face reddening.

"Does Horatio listen when you talk?"

He nodded.

"Then talk to him. He is beautiful, isn't he?"

He just glared at her.

"Blaise. You are not betraying Theo by moving on. He would not want you to satiate yourself with animals, or to sit lonely and miserable. He loved you"

"I know," he said softly.

"Would you want him to be doing what you are, were your positions reversed?"

He shook his head, hair flying out everywhere.

"Then why will you not talk to this Horatio?"

He looked her in the eye finally.

"Because-because if I move on, it means I'm letting go of him. It means I'm accepting it. That he's really not coming back. And I don't-I can't-I-"

She moved over quickly, pulling him into a tight hug, letting him sob on her shoulder.

"Shh. Shh. You are strong, little one. And Theo would want you to be strong. Theo would want you to live"

He cried thickly, reverting, in his mother's embrace, to a childhood state.

After a while, he pulled away and began rubbing at his eyes, still sniffling.

"Do me a favor. Talk to this Horatio. And when you come home tonight, I want you to tell me one thing that you learned about him today. Just one. Ok?"

"I-I don't know-"

"Just one. And if worst comes to worst, if he does not fill the gaping hole within you, well," she gestured to the empty space on the floor. "If Tracey could just disappear, so could he"

* * *

 _Tonks residence_

She sat up, rubbing the bump on the back of her head.

' _What-what happened?'_

She looked around the dimly-lit house. "T-Ted? You there?"

She slowly stood, pushing her way off of the floor.

"Ted?"

No answer came.

Panic began clouding her mind, icy shards of fear stabbing their way into her heart.

"TED? TED? WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?"

She ran up the stairs, her trembling legs threatening to drop from below her and leave her on the floor again.

"TED? EDWARD?! EDWARD TONKS?"

She ran into their room, unable to think.

Ted wasn't there. No-one was there. Nothing but a note on their bed.

She picked it up and read it, the words meaning nothing.

She began to cry, tears fogging her vision, making the letter even harder to read than the contents did.

" _Dearest Andromeda,_

 _You stupid, worthless, blood-traitor bitch. I loved you. You were my sister. Shame of my blood, I loved you once._

 _I have been training your abomination of a daughter. She won't answer to that silly thing you called her. Her name is Capella now._

 _You should hear her scream, traitor. Hear how she curses your name._

 _It has taken me a lot of time and effort, but I've gotten through to her._

 _I was happy to put in the effort, to give up my time. After all, family is important, wouldn't you say so, traitor bitch?_

 _She hates you now. She knows that everything I had to do to her is your fault._

 _Mother was never the same after you left, traitor. Muggle-loving whore._

 _You should hear how she begs me to kill her, traitor._

 _But all is well. She isn't an animal anymore._

 _Scream by scream, I have torn the taint out of her. You wouldn't even recognize her, traitor. Traitor bitch. Stupid cow, you family-ruining whore._

 _I have your mudblood. Capella is going to kill him._

 _She begged me to let her kill him. Begged me, traitor. Begged to be allowed to prove that she isn't the monstrosity you created anymore. To prove that she's Capella now. How do you like that, traitor?_

 _It's not too late for you. Come back. Your mudblood is dead, your daughter is purified. Come back. Cissy and I miss our sister._

 _We loved you._

 _Come back, you Muggle-loving, coward whore._

 _I left you alive when I visited your home. To give you a chance. Come back. We will welcome you with open arms. Come back, traitor. Come back.  
_

 _Toujours Pur"_

* * *

 _The Spiny Serpent_

Rookwood raised a hand, and a waiter immediately turned to face him.

"Another. For both of us"

The waiter scurried off, arriving at their table moments later with two large glasses of firewhisky.

"H-here y-you go. No charge, of course" he said, trying to smile at them.

Rookwood just looked at him blankly.

"You already told us that. Do we strike you as fools?"

The waiter paled, rubbing his hands together nervously.

"N-n-no, sir"

"Then," said the other occupant of the small booth, "may I suggest you cease with your ridiculous attempts at sycophancy?"

"Of c-course, P-P-Professor"

Snape leaned forward, giving the man his best sneer.

"I am not a professor anymore. And do you know what that means?"

The terrified waiter shook his head mutely.

"It means, that there are no rules about what I can and can't do to those who annoy me"

The waiter ran.

"Do you miss it?"

Snape turned to Rookwood, absentmindedly clinking their glasses together.

"Being a professor?"

Rookwood nodded.

"I would hand myself over to Potter and Greengrass sooner than agreeing to teach Potions again"

Rookwood's eyebrows rose.

"That bad?"

"Insufferable, arrogant dunderheads, hormone-crazed teenagers, Gryffindors. Not a one who could appreciate the beauty of a softly simmering concoction, none of them willing to simply obey the damn instructions"

He took a sip of his drink.

"I wanted to teach Defence," he admitted, "teach the brats how to fight. Dumbledore wouldn't let me"

Rookwood snorted into his drink.

"Honestly, I think I still would. Once we take Hogwarts. I liked teaching. But I loathed having to watch them ruin my favorite subject"

"You were training Potter and Malfoy, right?"

Snape nodded.

"He'll let. Hell, He'll probably order you to do it"

"As long as He doesn't want me to be Head of House again" he muttered darkly.

Rookwood began to chuckle. "As bad as teaching Potions?"

"Worse, in some ways. The little shits thought I was their friend. Telling me about how homesick they are, how their roommates snore, how they can't make friends"

Rookwood broke out into a full-bellied laugh, slapping his hand onto the table once or twice.

And they sat in a comfortable silence, sipping at their drinks.

"How's it been going? With the potions?"

"It's moving along. The Imperius Potion's done. Was difficult, making such large batches, but it's done. The Sterility Potion, now that's a different story. I've worked through most of the issues," Snape said, thoughtfully, "but it's difficult. We don't want squibs to be affected. Managed to get wizards excluded from its effects, but squibs are a lot more difficult"

"So what? Why does he care so much about squibs?"

Snape sighed, raising a hand.

The waiter saw it and squawked, running over with another two glasses of firewhisky. He didn't attempt to talk to them this time.

"The chances of a squib couple bearing wizarding children are over seventy percent," Snape said, adopting a lecturing tone. "And our population is far too small for us to cast aside that potential. Besides, He wants a steady supply of squibs for experimentation. And that's not even mentioning their uses for menial tasks"

Rookwood grunted.

"Still, it'll be a while. Very, very finicky work. A regular sterility potion is difficult enough. This? It has to affect muggles only, has to be entirely unnoticeable, can't be removed by their filters. It's tough work"

"But it'll be worth it when it's ready"

"That it will," Snape said, raising his glass to Rookwood's.

"You know," Rookwood said, scratching at his arm "we're the last of the old guard. Bella doesn't count, too crazy. We're the last Death Eaters from last time"

Snape nodded.

"But the new kids aren't doing too badly. You trained them well, Snape. You did well"

"They're practically as bad as Bella," Snape said, thinking about Harry's earnest expression as he offered his former professor some time with the Weasley girl.

"Worse, actually. They're still young. They haven't had a chance to mellow out. But He likes them, so it's fine. I'm telling you, Snape. He's happy with you. He'll give you anything you want"

A smile twisted its way across Snape's lips as he raised his glass.

His eyes locked across the room, onto a woman sitting by herself, her auburn hair framing her pale face.

Her eyes were blue, but that hair, that skin.

It tugged at him the way Lily's appearance once had, a lifetime before.

He felt happier than he had in years.

And finally willing to try again, to try for another chance at not being alone forever.

"Anything at all" he murmured, nodding to Rookwood and beginning to stand.

* * *

 _Lucas Residence, Brighton_

She stood just outside the neat garden, staring at her dark house with wide eyes and a twitchy grin.

The stench reached the street now.

As the pile of rotting bodies grew, the smell permeated further and further.

First, it had been two of her mother's friends, coming to check on her after she hadn't been to the book club for a while and hadn't been answering the phone.

She'd laughed as she struck them down, cried as she levitated their bodies, placing them in the basement with her mother.

The next day, it'd been one of her father's drinking buddies.

Him she'd stunned, letting him wake up among the corpses.

Making him scream before he died.

Then, today.

Two policemen.

They joined the pile.

But time was running short. When the police didn't return, it could only be so long before more were sent after them.

And she might be a good fighter, but if there were enough of them if they all had guns...

So she stood outside the house, smelling the rank, decomposing flesh.

And she raised her wand, tears streaming down her face as she laughed.

' _It was meant to be good! She was meant to be happy!'_

"Incendio!"

She waited until flames engulfed it until that cursed smell was blocked out by the thick columns of smoke.

Then she spun, apparating away with a crack.

* * *

 _Hogwarts dungeons_

Grindelwald sat on his throne, paging through the photographs.

His warriors stood before him, shifting nervously from foot to foot.

The photographs told a tale. A very sad one.

The murder of almost an entire family.

The total ruination of a young girl.

His glance swung back to the picture, to see her crying as she cut off her broken, flayed, burned hand.

He paged through them again.

The word "whore" cut into her chest.

A group of what were clearly werewolves in human form surrounding her, all of them erect.

Semen, bite marks, scratches, and blood covering her.

Her eyeball hanging out of its socket, the nerves and veins still attached, letting it hang down onto her cheek.

A large cut on her stomach, her innards visible through it.

Her mouth wide open, needles pushed into the gums where teeth should have been.

Fires lit under her feet, her arms chained above her head, a spike forced through her remaining hand.

"Please, Lord. Please. She's-she's our sister. The-the last of our family. We can't just leave her in that situation. We can't. Please"

"This is surely a trap," he said, looking up from the compendium of horrors. "Without a doubt"

The twin who had spoken swallowed, not breaking his gaze.

"Still. Still. We can't-"

' _For the greater good'_

"You would be handing yourselves into their care. Do you think you would be treated any better? Do you think your capture would improve her lot? This is a trap. They did not merely send you these pictures, conveniently showing you where she is, in order to wage psychological warfare. They want you to try and rescue her. And they will be prepared"

"They-"

"Look"

She moved, in the picture. Tied upside down by broken legs, she was lowered, her head going into a bucket of water.

Right above her toeless feet, carved into the wall, was the Malfoy family crest.

"Do you truly believe this was accidental? They want you to know where she is. They want you to come"

"We could-we could send inferi! Distract them! Make an attack somewhere else, make them have to deal with it!"

"And that already worked once. Do you think it will work again?"

Patil finally spoke, her hands twined in each of the boys'.

"Please, Lord. We can take a Blood Portkey, attuned to the Weasleys and me. You've taught us enough Blood Magic that we'd be able to escape, even without a wand. Please, Lord. She's all they have left"

"There are wards that can block Blood Magic. Voldemort learns from his mistakes. He will surely be prepared to face my forte"

"We can't just leave her there! We can't!"

He locked eyes with Fred.

"Do you truly believe that she would even be willing to leave?"

"Of course, she-"

He raised a gnarled hand, silencing the boy.

"You forget, that I have seen and done more than my fair share of torture. Of utter destruction. They have had her for a month. By this point, she is surely too frightened, too broken to even attempt escape"

George moaned and squeezed Padma's hand tighter. Fred's face hardened.

"Then I'll force her to leave"

"You will achieve nothing other than your own death or capture," He snarled, leaning forward in his throne. "I forbid it"

"I'm prepared to die to get her out of that!"

"You will sacrifice the war for her? How many other sisters will you doom to death in your stupidity?"

"I-"

"Am bonded! What will happen to your bonded fellows upon your torture and death? What will happen to me? Your inability to put her aside will lose us the war"

"I DON'T CARE!"

Grindelwald softened his tone, ignoring the urge to blast the brat into a thousand pieces, ignoring the Wand's humming.

"I understand that this is difficult. But you will be playing directly into their hands. Please. I can not force you not to go. But I cannot give you permission to lose us this war"

"What war?! We've been hiding here, doing nothing but strengthening our defenses, while he takes over the fucking world! We've lost! And you're too much of a coward to face him!"

He breathed deeply, holding it in before exhaling.

"Control your insolence. I will face Voldemort on my own terms. And even if I face him now, it will accomplish nothing! Not with his Horcruxes. You will not go. I forbid it"

Fred spat on the floor and stormed out.

' _They're going to go. No matter what I say, they will go. And if I lock them up, it will only make them more set on this course of action'_

"Calm him down," he said, waving his hand at the remaining two. "Stop him from making foolish decisions"

George wouldn't meet his eyes, but Padma nodded slowly, giving him a tinge of hope.

"Mark my words. If you go, if any of you are lost. It will mean the end of our fight"

* * *

 _The study, Lord Voldemort's Manor.  
_

He sat on the throne in His newly reconstructed study, sipping an exquisite wine and paging through an ancient tome.

And still, His brilliant mind wondered.

' _Will Grindelwald fall into it?'_

He shook His head ruefully.

' _Unlikely. He is too intelligent. If he does, however, there will be distractions that I would not be able to afford ignoring. However, if there are Inferi, I can send the vampires. But he would not try the same thing twice. And we have guards on the major cemeteries. He will not be able to use them, not easily'_

He sipped deeply, swirling the wine around his mouth before swallowing.

' _What, then? Another attempted uprising? Guerrilla attacks? Poltergeists?'_

He rose and began to pace, focusing entirely on the question at hand.

' _He will not be foolish enough. But does he have a tight enough reign on his three? Will he be able to prevent them from coming? Perhaps. If so, dare I leave Hogwarts much longer? Already, my enemies flock to it, to the bastion of their old civilization. Perhaps I should attack it either way'_

He grimaced, walking over to the bookshelf and withdrawing a book.

He paged through Hogwarts: A History until he reached the section of the school's security measures.

' _And this is without the additions he has made. It would be unwise to attack Hogwarts before all is optimal. Very unwise. Even with the Cabinet undiscovered, I will not be able to sneak too large a force in. Perhaps, if any of the Hogsmeade residents were willing to parlay, that would improve the situation. But who?'_

An idea came to Him, and He sat again, resting His chin on His fist, the glass of wine hovering beside Him.

' _Perhaps. She has always been neutral. She would require great promises, and of course, the allowance to continue with her research, but it could work. Yes, it could work. Nevertheless, I should wait. See whether Grindelwald manages to prevent his three from following their instincts'_

' _Africa and Australia will have to wait. They will both be most difficult'_

Try as they might, the Death Eaters had been unable to fight any factions in Africa willing to assist them.

Never before had Lord Voldemort seen a group of people so united in their desire to stand against Him. It would almost be enough to grant them respect in His eyes.

Almost, but not quite.

And Australia was entirely warded. The entire country. No entry or exit, no communications.

Of course, the squibs could be able to prove themselves there. No self-respecting witch or wizard could be able to go undercover as a muggle.

A squib, however, could.

And they were willing to do whatever they could to avoid sharing the muggles' fates.

It would take time, plenty of it.

But He was immortal.

He had nothing if not time.

 **AS ALWAYS: REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW**


	12. Chapter 9

**AN: I OWN NOTHING**

 **PLEASE REVIEW/P.M. ME**

 **ENJOY!**

Chapter 9

Capella still shrunk back when she saw them.

Even without a chain around her neck, even with Bellatrix's comforting hand on her shoulder, she still shrunk back.

It was quite gratifying, really.

"Shh, Capella. Shh. You're not an animal anymore. They won't hurt you"

She looked up at Bella, eyes wide.

"They-they-they won't?"

Bella shook her head, smiling widely.

"No, Capella," Harry said, waving her over, "we won't. I promise. Come, Ginny's waiting for you"

Slowly, Capella walked forward, uncertain steps leading her toward where Ginny was splayed against the wall.

"G-Ginny?"

Daphne spoke gently to Capella, voice soft and calm. "Do you know her, Capella?"

She shook her head, her hand rising and rubbing furiously against her teeth.

"N-no. T-Tonks knew her. She-she-she was friends with-with T-T-Tonks"

Bella glared at them for a moment before rubbing Capella's back and talking to her soothingly.

"And they're trying to help her. Just like how we helped you. Isn't that nice of them, to save a blood-traitor?"

Capella nodded earnestly, biting her lip.

Harry barely managed to keep from laughing.

"Yup. That's all we're doing. Trying to help her"

Ginny slowly turned her head around, her body's shaking causing the chains holding her to the wall to clank.

"T-tonks? T-t-tonks? W-what-"

Capella shook her head frantically, her fingers rising to her mouth again.

"I'm not Tonks! I'm not Tonks!"

Ginny started sobbing, looking as confused as she did pained.

"You are! You're my friend!"

Capella seemed to grow smaller, her fingers squeaking against her teeth.

"I'm not Tonks," she whispered, "I'm not"

Bella just spoke to her in that calming tone, rubbing her back softly.

"No, dear, you're not. I promise you're not. I know you're not that animal anymore, and so do Harry and Daphne. Right?"

"Yeah. You're Capella"

Daphne sounded like she was trying as hard as Harry to keep from laughing.

"Of course you're not. If you were, you'd be chained up, right? You wouldn't have clothes, right?"

Capella stared at her for a moment before nodding, her hand slowly falling away from her mouth.

"The blood-traitor wants to make you into Tonks again, Capella," Bella said, still speaking gently and stroking the shaking woman's back, "isn't that cruel of her? Isn't that just wicked?"

Capella bit her lip and nodded.

"So she must be punished," Bella continued, "Don't you think?"

Barely audibly, Capella said "yes"

"And it will help her. You'll help her realize who she really is. Isn't that good? Even though she's being so cruel, you're going to help her. Isn't that kind of you?"

"Yes"

And Bella handed her a whip, the cruel, spiky lengths of leather trailing along the stone floor as it switched hands.

"Then help her, Capella. And smile. You're doing noble work. You should be happy"

And shakily, Capella did.

Ginny started to scream before the whip even hit her.

Capella's weak smile didn't fade, even though she flinched with each of Ginny's screams.

It didn't fade even though she shook when blood sprayed from Ginny's back, splattering across her face.

If anything, it grew steadier, with each of Bella's and Harry and Daphne's encouragements.

Eventually, they even got her to laugh.

* * *

"I want you to gather my followers who were in Hogwarts. When the time comes to attack, I want a team to enter through the Cabinet, to strike from within and distract them from the assault on their gates"

"My lord? Will the Cabinet still work? I mean, with no-one there to call the Room?"

Voldemort leaned back in His throne, frowning slightly.

"It should," He said slowly. "While I am not completely certain of the method used to create the Room, I believe all the variations it brings into being do exist at all times, simply waiting to be called. Using the Cabinet, even from the outside, should work to call it. Nevertheless, you are correct, Harry"

Harry sat up a bit straighter, all but preening as the Dark Lord favored him with a smile.

"Before anyone of value enters the Cabinet, test it"

"What time frame are we looking at?"

"That depends partially on the outcome of our meeting tomorrow, and partially on Grindelwald and his three's reactions. Between two, two and a half weeks and one month"

"I'll start getting everyone together, my lord, and-"

A long-fingered hand rose into the air, cutting Harry's speech off.

"Who amongst the Hogwarts students are knowledgeable regarding Wards?"

"Only Horatio and Alaine, my lord, and what you've taught me"

Voldemort hissed softly, shaking His head.

"Not enough. Alaine is the only one of you three with enough experience to even begin tackling the internal wards of Hogwarts. Rookwood will accompany you, as will Severus, Tanya, Anatoly, and Bellatrix. Perhaps,"

He stared into space for a moment, looking thoughtful, before nodding and turning back to Harry.

"A squadron of wolves will accompany you as well. The warders will do what they can about the internal wards, while the rest of you protect them and wreak havoc. At the same time, I will destroy the external wards and begin the attack"

Harry nodded.

"Gather the people I have mentioned, as well as the rest of the Hogwarts students. You must be prepared. As soon as the time is ripe, we will strike"

"I will, my lord"

"Good. What news from the muggle minister?"

Harry probed the ball of awareness that hovered at the back of his mind, allowing the information o flow through.

"Nothing of note, my lord. The Obliviators have been doing their jobs well. He's just busy with their stupid politics"

Voldemort smiled.

"Excellent. The Imperius Potions are ready. Have everyone who is in control of their military high command speak to Severus. I want them to begin dosing immediately after Hogwarts is taken"

' _Fucking awesome!'_

"Harry. You will accompany me tomorrow. We will be meeting with a former professor of yours, one who may be of great assistance in easing our destruction of the Hogwarts wards"

' _Who? McGonagall? Not a chance. Stuck up bitch wouldn't help if all her students' lives were on the line'_

He just nodded.

"Be here at ten"

"I will. My lord? If I may?"

Voldemort gestured for him to speak, waving a pale hand negligently.

"How-how many Horcruxes can be made? Can you make more than seven? Or would that be too-too much?"

Bright red eyes locked onto greenish, crimson ones.

"I do not believe that there is any true limit. But I would advise not making more than five. The soul begins to...destabilize, if you will. While my own accidental Horcrux has proven to be my greatest asset, I can not promise that the same would always occur. Five, and after that, alternative methods of immortality must be sought, if any are even required"

Harry nodded slowly, still not tearing his gaze away from that of his Lord's.

"Thank you, my lord. Thank you"

* * *

"Professor Waffling," The Dark Lord said, speaking as smoothly as Lucius Malfoy ever had, "it is a pleasure to meet with as accomplished a witch as you"

She didn't flinch back from meeting the Dark Lord's eyes.

' _Pretty fucking impressive'_

"Thank you. The same can surely be said about you"

Voldemort laughed genially, and Harry almost swallowed his tongue.

' _What the fuck?'_

Her eyes softened for a moment, as she took in Harry's appearance.

"It's good to see you as well, Harry. My class has been far less exciting without your input"

"Uh, thanks?"

"Please, Professor. Have a seat"

She did so, looking as comfortable in the armchair opposite His throne as she had in her classroom.

"I am sure you are wondering why I summoned you here? Why I informed you of my home's location?"

She smiled.

"You want me to give you information on the Hogwarts and Hogsmeade wards?"

Voldemort laughed.

' _How the fuck?'_

"And how did you come to that conclusion?"

"It was rather obvious. If you wished to discuss Hogwarts or Hogsmeade's surrenders, you would have been meeting with the Headmistress or the mayor. While I am an authority in Magical theory and philosophy, I do not think I have much to offer you there, given your proclivity for Magical Arts about which I am ill-informed. That leaves the Wards"

Voldemort nodded encouragingly, the smile not leaving his lips.

The first hint of nervousness appeared on her face, her tongue quickly running over her lips before retreating into her mouth.

"I have remained neutral, taking no sides. I have not wished to make enemies. All I want is to continue with my research, my writing, and my teaching. I care not for the political stance of whoever is in power"

Something minute changed on Voldemort's face. Nothing that Harry could pinpoint, but suddenly, He seemed far less friendly, far more intimidating. A penumbra of darkness appeared, hovering around His head just beyond the edge of sight, seeming to chase away the light from the room.

"Tell me," He said, His voice lacking any warmth, "What will be if I attack?"

She stared forward, face set.

But her hands gripped each other tightly.

"You will kill any in your way"

"Correct," He said, leaning forward, seeming to tower over her. "I will kill all in my way. Right now, Hogsmeade is in my way. But if the information I want is given to me, it will not be. No-one from the village will die, save those who fight against me. I will not force you to talk. I will not rape your mind or drug you. But I will make you choose"

She sat silently, looking down.

"You are truly a witch after my own heart. You are focused on furthering our understanding of this great gift that has been bestowed upon us, on educating our children, on bettering our world. I admire that, truly, I do. I do not wish to leave your disemboweled corpse on the gates of Hogwarts"

She shivered involuntarily, and Harry knew that his lord would get what He wanted.

"I do not wish to destroy the village of Hogsmeade, to crucify the survivors as a living memorial to the futility of standing against me. I do not wish to do this. But I will if I must. I would far rather you continue to live, continue to do your research, aided by my followers, aided by the lack of foolish laws censuring your choices of study. I want to see you still teaching in Hogwarts next year, continuing your classes, which I have been reliably informed are brilliant"

Harry smiled encouragingly as she glanced at him for a second.

Voldemort's tone softened slightly as He continued.

"Give me what I want. I will conquer Hogsmeade and Hogwarts either way. This simply ensures a lack of unnecessary bloodshed. Give me what I want, and I will protect you from Grindelwald's wrath"

She opened her mouth to speak and closed it, looking down again.

"I chose you," Voldemort whispered, "because you are the most pragmatic of the village's residents. The most pragmatic, and the most intelligent. So many of our goals align. I saw your letters to the ministry, you know. Wherein you argued against their banning of certain Magical studies. Give me what I want, and the resources of the Department of Mysteries, my Department of Mysteries, will be entirely at your disposal. Give me what I want, and I will open my personal library to you"

She looked up sharply at that, eyes widening.

"Oh, yes. I will. I will gain you access to the most private, most secretive pureblood family libraries in the world. I will give you this. Just give me what I want"

Her eyes closed, and she looked straight ahead, swallowing thickly.

"Please, Professor," Harry said softly. "It'll be much better for you this way"

She sat in the same position for a few minutes, eyes tightly shut, not moving an inch.

Finally, her eyes opened.

And she nodded.

The Dark Lord smiled, and she began to talk.

* * *

"Hey, Andrea. Have you seen Horatio?"

She nodded, humming to herself and playing with her hair.

He sighed.

' _Honestly, can she stop fucking moping around?'_

"Well? Where is he?"

She interrupted her humming for just long enough to say, "I saw him going into that orange guest room. Downstairs"

"Thanks" he muttered and started making his way there, grumbling to himself.

' _Stupid bitch. So she killed her parents, so fucking what? Doesn't give her the right to not answer me. Fucking cunt'_

He stopped in his tracks as an idea occurred to him.

' _Yeah. That'd be great. Just need to speak to Snape'_

With a spring in his step, he continued onward, not bothering to knock before opening the door.

And stopping immediately, when he found Blaise and Horatio busy.

Blaise was lying on his back, his eyes closed and moaning in obvious rapture as Horatio moved, lips locked around Blaise's nipple and hand wrapped tight around his cock.

He carefully walked backward without making a sound and closed the door as softly as he could.

Then he just breathed for a moment.

' _Well, I guess it's a good thing that Blaise is moving on. But what the fuck is it about him that he has to do this type of thing where anyone can just walk in?'_

He walked off, deciding to try his luck with finding Snape and getting Andrea some of that potion instead.

* * *

Borgin and Burke's was practically full to capacity as they crowded around the Cabinet.

Sköll, a Norwegian werewolf who Sharptooth had described as impressively idiotic, walked into the Cabinet, closing the door behind him.

He had been very easy to convince. Barely even needed a real reward.

Everyone held their breath as they waited for some sign, some indication that it had been successful.

"Fuck it" Harry muttered.

He pulled open the Cabinet's door.

And there was nothing inside.

Instantly, cheers began to break out, echoing around the small shop and making the glass display boxes rattle.

And the mirror in Harry's hand heated up.

Sköll appeared on the other side, standing amongst the piles of the Room of Hidden Things.

"It worked, sir"

Harry rolled his eyes.

' _I would never have guessed'_

"Be nice" Daphne whispered to him.

"Thank you. Well done, Sköll. Great work, really. You can come back now"

A minute later, the Cabinet inside Borgin and Burke's opened, the door being pushed from the inside.

Sköll walked out, raising his arms in victory.

Harry clapped him on the back. "Thank you, Sköll. She's all yours, tonight. Just don't break or kill her, ok?"

"I won't, milord. I won't"

* * *

Harry and Daphne were with Ginny, debating whether or not to destroy her remaining hand and eye when the first explosion rocked the manor's grounds.

It'd been two days since the Cabinet had been proven to still be working, and almost two weeks since they had sent off the pictures to the Weasleys.

By that point, they had all but decided that they were going to be ignored.

The ground shook again, and they heard someone screaming about an attack.

He looked at Daphne and smiled, drawing his wand.

"Hey, Ginny," he prodded her with his wand.

"Hey. Cunt. Stupid fucking whore, look at me!"

The tip of his wand burned a hole in her cheek, and her eye slowly focused on him.

"Do you hear that?"

She nodded.

"Do you know what that is?"

She shook her head.

"Sometimes," Daphne said, "I wish we would have left her tongue"

"Yeah, well. We know the countercurse. But not for now. If we capture them, then sure"

He looked at Ginny again, sighing when he noticed how her eye was unfocused again.

"Look. At. Me. Whore!"

She did, ignoring the blood running down her face, ignoring the fresh cuts.

"That's a rescue mission for you. You're going to have friends with you. Isn't that exciting?"

She looked blank for a moment, then nodded slowly.

"Good. Now stay here. Be good. And maybe we'll give you a tongue again. Won't that be nice?"

She nodded.

Another explosion shook the manor, dust falling from the dungeon roof.

Daphne gripped his arm, her eyes glowing brightly. "Come on, babe. Let's do it!"

"Yeah. Let's"

They ran upstairs, making their way to the entrance hall.

Where a scene of utter chaos greeted them.

A thick, grayish white mist poured through the doors, ghoulish shapes appearing in it for instants before disappearing.

"POTTER! GREENGRASS! STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM THAT MIST!"

He turned at Rookwood's roar, his gaze coming to rest on where the man stood, halfway up the stairs, furiously casting toward the oncoming mist.

Daphne suddenly squeezed his arm, and his head whipped back.

Goyle stood at the entrance to the lounge, a spear of mist impaled in his chest, his mouth opening and closing stupidly.

As Harry watched, Goyle's body dissolved into nothingness, not even leaving his clothes behind, his face appearing for a moment in the mist before it was swirled way.

He raised his wand and began spinning it through the motions.

And it flew out of his hand.

"FIENDFYRE DOESN'T WORK! IT JUST MAKES IT WORSE! FUCKING RUN!"

They ran, stopping next to Rookwood on the landing.

He tossed Harry back his wand, not stopping his frantic casting.

"Call Him! Fucking do it!"

Someone screamed from outside, a high pitched shriek that ended abruptly with an explosion.

"FUCKING CALL HIM, POTTER! JUST PRESS THE FUCKING MARK!"

The mist reached the bottom of the spiraling stairwell.

And Harry pressed his Mark.

Everything seemed to fall silent for a second, everything other than the screaming, burning pain in his arm.

And then it ended, and the Dark Lord stood beside him.

His eyes widened at the sight of the mist, and He glanced for a split-second over at what Rookwood was casting.

Then He just stared ahead, as the wall of white drew nearer.

He thrust His hand forward, drops of blood flying into the mist, His wand flashing as He did so.

And the mist vanished.

"I want them alive," the Dark Lord said, His voice a whip of tightly controlled fury.

As Harry and Daphne started making their way down the stairs, their hands twined together, a small metallic-looking ball flew through the open doors.

Behind them, the Dark Lord growled out an incantation.

And the ball stopped its descent, landing in mid-air and hovering there.

Mist began to pour out of it, forming a perfect sphere.

It didn't spread any further than an inch or two around it.

The Dark Lord growled again, and it vanished.

"They dare unleash the Evil of Logoth? Against me? AGAINST WHAT IS MINE? THEY DARE?!"

They reached the gardens at a run, the Dark Lord's furious shrieks following them through the doors.

They arrived just in time to see Bellatrix cackle as she slapped one of the balls out of the air.

It exploded just as it landed, one of the Weasleys and Patil managing to jump out of the way, the other one being thrown and landing right next to a mangled body on the neat lawn.

Harry stunned him just as he started to push himself to his feet.

Bella just laughed raucously as she dueled the other two.

"GEORGE," Patil shouted, conjuring a shield and blocking Bella's spell, "HE'S HERE! WE NEED TO GO!"

"NOT WITHOUT FRED!"

And the Dark Lord stepped out of the door.

Patil threw another of those balls, and in the instant that everyone's wand shot towards it, grabbed the conscious Weasley's arm and spun, disapparating away.

And as suddenly as it had begun, the attack was over.

Harry looked around, wincing slightly. Bodies littered the grounds, few of them moving.

Breathing heavily, the Dark Lord walked over to Weasley.

He waved his wand curtly, and the ginger rose into the air, his limbs splaying out and his eyes opening.

The Dark Lord grabbed his face and stared into his eyes.

After a few minutes, He let go, growling softly.

"He has a blood portkey. Attuned to the Weasley family and the other girl. Activation word is Prewett"

He turned, glowing eyes coming to rest on Harry and Daphne.

"I want it destroyed. Brought to unparalleled heights of agony. Then poison it and send it back to Grindelwald. Leave it's tongue functional"

"It'll be a pleasure, my-"

"You have forty-eight hours. Then we will move to Hogwarts"

The Dark Lord turned to Bellatrix. "Send for the healers. Now"

* * *

Fred woke up slowly, the room around him taking an eternity to come into focus.

There was a metal collar around his neck, attached by a chain to the stone wall.

His hands were chained up in front of him.

His legs were likewise bound.

Other than that, and his lack of a wand, everything seemed to be working fine.

He could feel the portkey's comfortable weight, pushing into his side where he rested against the wall.

And Ginny was in front of him, chained to the opposite wall.

He just stared for a minute, taking in her ruined appearance.

Her missing eye and hand, her toeless feet. The word carved into her chest. The patches of flesh uncovered by skin. The cuts and burns covering her body.

He barely kept from vomiting.

"Ginny? Ginny? Wake up"

Very, very slowly, her eye opened, coming to rest upon him.

She showed no signs of recognition.

"Ginny? I'm gonna get you out of here. I promise. Ok?"

"You're not here" she whispered.

"I am. I'm here, Gin. Fuck, what've they done to you?"

She just shook her head, her eye closing. "You're not real"

"GINNY!"

"Not real. No. Not real. Not real. Nothing's real. Not real"

He started to cry, as she continued muttering.

"Gin-Ginny. Please, listen. I'm gonna get you out of here"

"Ginny not real. Ginny-I'm Ginny. Please is good. They like please. They don't like Ginny"

"Fucking hell. Merlin, Ginny. What've-what've they done to you?"

She just looked at him blankly for a moment before bursting out laughing.

She laughed in a high pitch, her voice cold and somehow frightening.

It made the hairs on his arm stand up.

"Scream. Scream. Cry. Please. Cunt. Whore. Whore. Ginnywhore"

He managed to push his hand up into his mouth as she started laughing again.

"No breaking Ginny. No killing Ginny. No breeding Ginny. Only scream, whore cunt"

He bit deeply, the pain from his hand not nearly as bad as what he was hearing.

What his sister, his sister who had been so fun, so energetic, so full of life, was saying.

"Blood-traitor bitch. Ginnybitch. Wolves and wolves and Crabbe and Goyle and Tonks-and Tonks-and Tonks-and Tonks-and Tonks was Ginny's friend!"

He shook his hands, some of the blood dripping onto the manacles.

"Tonks not Tonks. Ginny cruel. Punish. Please is good. Tonks is bad. Capella is good. Scream is good. They like scream. They like cry"

"Secare!" He whispered, focusing on the magic flowing through his blood.

Nothing happened.

"Fred here now. Fred scream. Not only Ginnywhore. Also Fred. Blood-traitor Fred"

He just stared in dismay at the uncut manacles.

"Secare!"

He began to shake, fear flooding through him as he realized.

' _I shouldn't have come here. Oh fuck. Oh fuck'_

The door opened, and Potter and Greengrass walked in.

Ginny immediately kneeled, her head touching the floor and naked back shaking.

There were as many scars across her back as across her chest.

"Look, Daph. He's awake. And so is she. You been talking to him, bitch?"

"Yes, sir"

Greengrass laughed while Potter just smiled.

"And look. He must have figured it out now. No blood magic in here"

He just glared at them.

"Well," Potter said, rubbing his hands together. "We're on a schedule. Let's get started, shall we?"

The door closed behind them.

It didn't take long before Fred began to scream.

* * *

 _Hogwarts dungeons_

"We need to go back-we-we need-please-please, Lord, we-"

Grindelwald hissed, his Wand flashing as he stood.

George and Padma rose into the air, their hands being torn from one another's grips, their muscles tensing, the tendons in their necks standing out as their backs arched.

"I ORDERED YOU TO NOT GO! YOU DISOBEYED ME! AND THEN YOU BEG PERMISSION TO REPEAT YOUR MISTAKE?"

"We-"

"FOOLISH CHILDREN! I ORDERED YOU!"

His Wand slashed, and they screamed.

"YOU WILL SUFFER! YOU WILL FEEL SOME, SOME OF HIS AGONY! THE BOND WILL PASS SOME OF IT THROUGH TO YOU! IT WILL AFFECT MY POWERS OF REASON!"

He turned around abruptly, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes.

They fell to the ground with a thump.

"You may have just lost us the war," he whispered. "I hope you are proud. Get out of my sight or you will beg to share his fate"

He didn't return to his throne until their hurried footsteps had faded into the distance.

He sat again, breathing deeply.

It wasn't just the loss of one of his bonded warriors that so unnerved him.

It was what he had seen in their worthless minds when he examined their memories of the attack.

' _Potter has made Horcruxes. At least one. And if there has been merging of their souls, he has granted Voldemort an extra safeguard. And with Longbottom out of the game, I stand at a great, extremely severe disadvantage'_

He kept his eyes closed, clearing his mind, trying to move past the stress and fear.

A hint of panic remained one that he could not vanquish.

And he knew it would only worsen.

' _What will Voldemort do? Torture Fred, of course. Kill him, eventually. And then? Attack Hogwarts, of course'_

Part of him wishes that he could just go to the headmistress' office and rage at Albus' portrait.

The sane part of his mind knew that if he did so, he would doubtless end up murdering her. And if he did, their chances would only be worsened when Voldemort finally attacked.

Slowly, his pulse returned to a regular pace, his breathing becoming less hurried.

' _First: ensure that the other two are not captured. They will be useless anyway, in their current state._

 _Second: send a message to McGonagall. The castle will soon enough be under attack.  
_

 _Third: Prepare for war._

 _If I will die, I will take down every Death Eaters I can with me'_

* * *

He sat on his throne, breathing heavily.

The last two days had been...intense, to say the least. He had been forced to keep his two remaining warriors unconscious.

Their constant screams and sobs had been most distracting.

Thankfully, unlike them, he was not suffering any of the actual pain that Fred was experiencing. But he had found it almost impossible to concentrate for more than half an hour at a time, and he kept having to prevent himself from making incompetent decisions.

The previous day, he'd come within an inch of apparating to Malfoy Manor. And while he was Gellert Grindelwald, he knew full well that in his current state, he would not be able to stand against Voldemort and a contingent of his Death Eaters. Not for long, at least.

And so he'd manage to busy himself with the castle's defenses.

' _Idiot. I should never have done it. I knew it was a possibility, I knew it! But I needed an edge, I needed the additional power. Fool! I am a fool!_

 _I should have foreseen the inevitable outcome!'_

A sharp crack split the air, interrupting his self-recriminations.

Somehow, what remained of Fred was still alive.

He walked over to it, as if in a dream.

A head attached to a torso. No eyes, no ears, no nose. No arms, no legs. It was naked, and the penis still attached had been sliced vertically down the middle, the testicles crushed.

No skin.

And it moaned.

Grindelwald had seen many horrors, in his lifetime. He had caused many horrors.

But as he stood there, gazing down at the broken form of what was once Fred Weasley, he could think of nothing as terrible as this.

Broken shards of ribs poked through the skinless flesh, gleaming white.

Every inch of flesh that he could see was covered in cuts and burns.

Vaguely, he noticed the teeth that had been impaled into the flesh.

He reached down and plucked up the note that was pinned into an empty eye socket, wincing at the fresh moans it caused.

He heard footsteps behind him, heard the terrible screams as his two saw what had arrived.

' _His presence. It must have awoken them, pushing through the bond'_

He ignored them, as he ignored the creature before him.

" _Sorry, we think you left this behind!_

 _Of course, it was in a different state then. But we've had a busy forty-eight hours. Someone's been with him at all times! It really was a lot of fun! Now, we're running low on Weasleys. Could you send us a replacement, please?  
_

 _P.S. we've been reliably assured that there's no cure for what we poisoned it with and that it'll be in terrible pain till it dies. Of course, you could kill it, but will your bond let you?"  
_

* * *

The Dark Lord walked forward, stopping a few meters away from the wrought iron gates of Hogwarts.

His army stood silently, assembled behind Him.

When He spoke, His voice carried, echoing through the quiet village of Hogsmeade, certainly being heard in the castle itself.

"Because I am merciful, I give you this one last chance. Seven days, and I will attack. Surrender, and you will live. Europe is mine. Hogwarts cannot stand against my might. I do not wish to spill more magical blood than is absolutely necessary. I do not wish to destroy my noble ancestor's school, to force us to rebuild it. Hogwarts should be sacrosanct. I have great respect for most of the residents of Hogwarts. Do not force me to destroy you all. Surrender, and you will live. Seven days"

He walked back, the entire army looking to Him.

"Let their fear strangle them. And if they have not surrendered in one week, we attack"

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 **ALMOST DONE. ONLY 3-5 CHAPTERS LEFT.**


	13. Chapter 10

**AN: I OWN NOTHING**

 **PLEASE REVIEW/P.M. ME**

 **ENJOY!**

Chapter 10

"We rode on the winds of the rising storm,

We ran to the sounds of the thunder.

We danced among the lightning bolts,

and tore the world asunder"—Robert Jordan-Crossroads of Twilight

"Veni, Vidi, Vici"—Julius Caeser

"History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it"—Winston Churchill

"All I see give to me, that is my decree.

My will be done"—Sabaton-Carolus Rex

* * *

One by one, they exited the Cabinet. The towering debris threatened to collapse on them, the footsteps of the small army making the ground tremble.

He looked over at Snape.

"Can you guys attack the Wards from in here?"

He shook his head, his sallow face appearing more pinched than usual.

"No. It is not-not truly a part of the Castle. We need to enter"

"But once you're inside, anywhere's fine, right?"

Snape and Rookwood both answered at the same time.

"Yes"

"And you guys won't be able to fight or anything? While you're busy?"

"No"

"Fine. We head out. There's an old, empty room, about halfway down the corridor. On the right of the Room. You guys work in there. We'll cover you"

"How-"

He ignored him, turning to the wolves.

"Jason. Take your people. You'll take the left side of the corridor. I want some guarding it, the rest moving on. Kill everyone you come across unless they're a kid and they surrender"

"How old?" He growled.

"If they look under fourteen or fifteen. Don't assume they'll surrender"

The wolf nodded, turning to his squad and beginning to divide them up.

"Me, Daphne, Blaise, Horatio, Morag, Andrea, Jeremy, Xavier, and Derrick will move further into the school, from the right of the corridor. Everyone else, guard the classroom"

He locked eyes with Snape again.

"How long do you think it'll take?"

"An hour. Maybe two"

"That long?"

Snape sneered at him. "Potter, the original Wards on Hogwarts were the most complex of their time. They have only been strengthened with the passage of time and the additions of the intervening headmasters. If I hadn't worked here so long, if Waffling hadn't given us the information she did, it would be all but impossible"

"Fine. Just join in when you're done. Ok. Let's move out people. Fucking kill them all"

Blaise gripped Horatio's arm tightly, holding him in place as everyone made their way to the exit.

"Don't you die on me" He whispered. "Don't you fucking dare"

"I won't"

"Hey! Guys! Come on! We can't get separated this early!"

They reluctantly followed.

As the group exited the Room, a suit of armor in a small alcove diagonally opposite the door straightened up.

It took a ponderous step forward, it's helmet creaking as it slowly turned to face them.

It smashed the bottom of its spear into the floor three times, the loud banging echoing through the castle.

And as it's spear came to face them, a loud banging could be heard from the lower floors, as the other suits of armor answered its call.

Harry's Reducto hit it in the chest, succeeding only in knocking it back into the wall.

"Jason. Go" he called, not taking his eyes of the armor as it slowly straightened itself.

And with a howling cry, the wolves ran in the opposite direction.

As Snape's curse hit the suit, blasting it apart, a ghost appeared.

It took Harry a moment to recognize it as the Gryffindor Ghost.

It looked different, less grey and more black.

Its eyes were wide, wild and angry.

Before anyone could banish it, it shrieked.

The sound was horrific, like nails on a chalkboard through a Sonorous.

It blocked out thought, canceled actions as it dug its way into his brain.

Harry found himself on the floor, hands over his ears, blood dripping through his fingers.

It finally ended, and the ghost disappeared as suddenly as it had come.

He got to his feet shakily and looked around him.

"To that fucking room. Let's fucking start already"

And from around the castle, clanking and ghostly screams could be heard, mingling with the wolves' inhuman howling, merging with the sound of spellfire and shouts.

War had come to Hogwarts.

* * *

The Dark Lord raised His wand, His movement mirrored by ten chosen Death Eaters around Him.

"Remember. Leave the anti-apparition, anti-portkey, and muggle repellants. Destroy everything else. Someone signal the creatures"

As He and those of His followers who had been selected for their experience with Wards began to work, one of the Death Eaters behind them raised his wand.

A firework shot out of it, flying high above the ground, coming in line with the spire of the Astronomy Tower before exploding, lighting up the entire night sky.

And as Voldemort and His chosen few set to destroying the Hogwarts Wards, the ground outside the Forbidden Forest rumbled.

On the side of the Forest away from Hogwarts, the side uncovered by the Wards, an army of monsters charged.

Werewolves ran alongside Vampires, shrill, high-pitched calls echoing and seeming to bounce off of the howls not meant for human throats.

Three giants bellowed as they ran, uprooting trees and throwing them ahead as they went.

And a horde of Dementors flowed silently through the trees, their cloaks making no sound as they dragged seamlessly along the ground.

* * *

"Sir, What should we do?"

He looked over at them, at the group of puffed up children standing before his throne, awaiting his orders.

He had trained them, every single one.

And now he would send them to die.

"The elves are evacuating the children?"

Dean Thomas swallowed but kept his back straight.

"They were. But-but they can't apparate out anymore. Everyone below the fifth year is barricaded in the kitchens. The elves say they're allowed to fight, to protect them"

' _So he doesn't simply discount the elves. Clever'_

Grindelwald calmed the trembling in his hand, letting the Elder Wand's deathly song fill his veins.

"Fight. Kill. Give no quarter"

Thomas nodded, and the group began to leave his presence.

They didn't talk among themselves as they walked out. They made no jokes, sang no songs.

They knew what the outcome would be.

Grindelwald waited until they had left before standing.

' _Curse you, Albus. Curse you to Hell and back'_

He made his way to one of the smaller dungeons, to where his remaining two waited, safe in the clutches of unconsciousness.

He simply stood there and stared for a minute, trying to make up his mind.

And with a sigh, he raised his Wand.

' _As terrible as another death will be, as damaging as it will most certainly prove itself. Every wand is necessary. And if they are found here, once the battle is over, they will share Fred's fate. Far better to perish fighting'_

"Ennervate"

* * *

Minerva McGonagall stood, adding the finishing touches to her robe.

As shields went, it was not amazing. But it would be far better than nothing.

She turned around, taking in every detail of the office for what she was certain would be the last time.

The portraits were silent, every single one of them.

All of them were there, having returned from their positions around the castle to bid one final farewell to her.

To the last true Headmistress of Hogwarts.

Her gaze met Albus'.

He nodded at her, tears streaking his face.

"Good luck, Minerva. Fight well"

As if it broke the dam, the other portraits immediately began chiming in.

"Give them what for, eh!"

"Show them why you're the Head!"

"Kill them all!"

Her gaze stayed locked on Albus, on the crying visage of her mentor and hero.

She turned and walked out of the office, drawing her wand.

* * *

Harry and Daphne jumped, sliding into a classroom, curses and hexes flying through the air where they had just been.

He looked at her in the dim light.

Their faces were splattered with blood, their clothes singed, small bruises and cuts dotting them both.

They had been fighting for what felt like hours, coming up against students, security trolls, suits of armor, and traps left behind.

His leg throbbed where some plant had attacked him, tearing through his robes and ripping open his skin.

He felt a dull ache in his ribs where one of the suits of armor had gotten him with a spear. He hadn't been impaled, but he was sure he had a broken rib or two.

And he had never felt so alive before.

Explosions and screams filled the castle, shouted incantations and rabid yells.

He leaned over and kissed her savagely, wanton desire filling his mind.

"Let's try to get another pet" she whispered, breaking the kiss.

He smiled.

They could hear the enemy group slowly approaching the classroom door. She took a step back as his wand began to twist and turn.

And he jumped out of the door, screaming in mid-air.

"FIENDFYRE!"

* * *

Filius Flitwick looked around, his fingers curled tight, the sharp nails digging into his skin.

"You will be able to do it?"

Pomona and Poppy nodded, both of them looking far more serious than he had ever before seen them.

Some of the children were still crying, no matter what the house-elves said or did. Mostly the younger ones, but their terror was infectious.

He looked around the kitchens again.

The children sat huddled in small groups, mostly on the floor. They talked quietly among themselves, the older ones comforting their younger companions.

Around each group, a few elves stood. Some armed with knives and cleavers, some with their little hands balled into fists.

They lived to serve the students of Hogwarts. They were prepared to die to serve them as well.

He didn't allow his eyes to settle on the earthenware pots scattered around the kitchens, the soil leaking over the tops.

"Do you think it'll work, Filius? Do you think they'll accept it?"

He looked at Pomona and sighed, feeling his age.

Feeling like the last member of an extinct race.

"If you phrase it correctly, he should. Blame the rest of us. Blame Grindelwald. Tell them how you did not take part in the fighting, and simply retreated here to save as many of the children as you could"

A single tear made its way down her face.

"Will you not stay with us?"

He shook his head sadly, his right hand drawing his wand as his left pulled out a long knife.

He stared into the blade, remembering how it had been given to him the day his Hogwarts Letter arrived. Remembering his grandfather's exhortations not to forget his heritage, not to forget his blood.

"I may only be part-goblin," he said, his voice far harder than its usual squeak, "but my grandfather's blood cries out for vengeance. The blood of my people cries for vengeance. Farewell, Pomona. May we meet in another world"

He looked at the pots as he walked out, the house-elves making way for him and unbarring the door.

He looked at them, and thought of the careful charms he had applied, ensuring that the sounds of their contents would be heard throughout the castle.

Ensuring that if Pomona and Poppy's surrender was not accepted, Hogwarts would become a burial ground for all its occupants.

His lips twisted into a cold sneer, his incisors peeking out, and he thought about the cry of the Mandrakes.

* * *

Cho Chang turned around the corner, and immediately slashed her wand through the air, shouting out "Reducto!"

The werewolf flew through the air, long nails flashing as his hands clawed at nothing.

He smashed into a wall and somehow managed to land on his feet.

An animalistic face turned toward her, its features somehow lacking any semblance of humanity.

"Little bitch," he growled, "I'll feast on your tits"

As he leaped through the air, her mind focused into a sharp point, all of Grindelwald's lessons showing their effects.

' _You don't deserve life'_

"Avada Kedavra!"

She felt nothing but satisfaction as the beast fell to the ground.

She stood there for a moment, looking down at his body and taking pride in her kill until a soft moaning broke her reverie.

"Oh! Fuck, Lavender!"

She kneeled next to the girl, stroking her cut face, blood soaking its way through the Gryffindor's robes.

"Shhh. It's gonna be ok. It's gonna be ok"

She started to cry, as Lavender's breathing slowed.

"No! Lavender! It's-it's-we'll get you Madam Pomfrey-hospital wing-"

But Madam Pomfrey wouldn't be there. She would be down with the younger kids, hiding from all the death.

The full horror of the war suddenly struck her, the death and destruction she had seen cutting its way into her mind, and she began to sob.

And suddenly, her mind was empty, filled with a pleasantly relaxed feeling, all her pain and fear and heartbreak washed away.

' _Stand up. Turn around'_

And because the thought was hers, she did, coming face to face with a pockmarked man with empty eyes.

' _Find your friends. Kill them'_

' _Wait. That isn't right. I don't want to-'_

Her train of thought vanished, crushed brutally into nothingness.

' _It's completely right. Let them have painless deaths, as opposed to what the Death Eaters will do. Give them peace'_

Something didn't seem right about that, but who was she to argue?

She turned around and walked off, leaving Augustus Rookwood standing in the corridor with a small smirk.

* * *

The Death Eater advanced on the screaming girl.

He ended the spell, letting her stay on the floor in a trembling heap.

"You stupid little bitch," he said, his voice tinged with a heavy European accent, "you have no idea who you are fighting against. I'm sure Potter will be most pleased when I give you to him, and-"

His wand dropped out of his hand, rolling away from unfeeling fingers.

His mouth opened once or twice, a small line of blood drooling out.

He fell forward, revealing Minerva McGonagall standing a few meters away, her lips pursed tightly.

"Miss Bones? Are you all right?"

Susan nodded shakily.

"Well then. Up you get. And next time, do make sure to use a lethal curse"

* * *

Two of the giants bellowed as they grabbed their traitorous, smaller relative.

With a loud cry, they hefted him, throwing him through the air and into the castle walls.

Masonry screamed as it broke.

They bellowed again, and ran at him, ignoring the tiny thing near their legs that screamed it's half-brother's name.

* * *

The Inferi turned to face him as he walked forward, their groaning cries filling the air as they advanced, waving rotting arms.

Sanguini snorted and raised his own hand, the intricately painted fingernails glittering eerily in the starlight.

Vampires did not have magic, not in the same way that humans or other magical creatures did.

But what they did have, was Necromancy.

An untrained, newborn vampire was as powerful a Necromancer as the most exceptional wizard.

And one such as him, a clan leader who had turned thousands over the centuries.

Well, he was an entirely different story.

His hand came down, and every Inferius on the grounds of Hogwarts collapsed, the magic that had given them a parody of life fleeing their bodies.

* * *

A pack of werewolves charged at the centaurs, silver arrows felling them one by one.

"RETREAT!" Sharptooth howled, and they obeyed.

The centaurs reloaded their bows, taking potshots at the fleeing half-breeds.

All but one. Firenze sniffed the air, his eyes widening in fear.

His hand trembled as it reached into his quiver, selecting an arrow with a gleaming, bright-blue head.

The night grew dark, the moon and stars seeming to disappear as the horde of Dementors swooped down on the waiting centaurs.

Firenze held on to the happiest memory he could, fighting off the tide of hopelessness and depression, ignoring the screams of his brethren.

He let go, and the arrow flew true.

The Dementor it hit glowed with a bright light for a moment before vanishing, leaving an empty cloak to flutter onto the ground.

His hand reached back into his quiver, searching for another.

As his hand closed on another of his memory-arrows, a freezing wind blew over him.

He froze as dead, alien fingers gripped his face, pulling his chin, opening his mouth.

The Dementor moved in from his side, it's cloak's hood already lowered, its face moving toward him.

Firenze looked into the face of the Dementor, and he screamed.

* * *

Lord Voldemort stopped, pausing for a moment at the large doors to Hogwarts.

He detested having to do this, being forced to desecrate His first true home.

But they had pushed His hand.

' _Soon they will all know to simply worship me'_

The doors flew open at his gesture.

And a large knife flew toward his face.

He deflected it with a wave of His wand but was immediately forced to defend Himself against a barrage of spells flying His way.

His wand twisted and spun, deflecting curses, conjuring shields, pulling statues into the paths of oncoming spells.

He saw an opening and He struck.

Filius Flitwick stumbled, his arm tearing off of his body and flying away, his wand clattering as it rolled into a corner.

He collapsed, his shoulder spouting his lifeblood out onto the uncaring stones.

Lord Voldemort stepped toward him, His wand rising to the gash on His cheek and closing it.

"Nobody has landed a hit on me for many a year. Well done, little man"

And with muscles enhanced by abominable rituals, he stomped on Flitwick's face, grinding his foot through the mess and into the stone.

* * *

Gellert Grindelwald looked sharply up at the ceiling.

He held his wand before his eyes, letting it fill his field of vision.

"Well, old friend," he whispered, "shall we?"

And he rose to finally enter the fray.

* * *

Horatio twisted out of the way of the Killing Curse, just managing to avoid it.

As he spun, his elbow smashed into the wall and his entire arm went numb.

He dropped his wand.

Dean raised his wand again.

"Die, you fucking traitor! Avada-"

"NOOO!"

Blaise appeared out of nowhere, leaping onto Dean's back.

Dean twisted and turned, trying to get him off, but Blaise held tight, his wand slowly rising to Dean's temple.

"EXPULSO!"

Blaise looked at him over the body, his face splattered with blood and brains and bits of bone.

"I fucking told you, no dying!"

Horatio swallowed thickly, staring at him.

"I won't," he said quietly.

A jet of black light shot in between them, missing the two boys by inches, and Blaise shouted, spinning back into the fight.

* * *

Sybil Trelawney stood near a high parapet, looking down at the fighting going on below her.

She threw crystal ball after crystal ball, guiding them with her wand, sending them to the enemies of Hogwarts.

As the battle drew on, the bottle of sherry in her left hand slowly grew more and more empty.

She threw another crystal ball, watching with savage pleasure as it crushed a Death Eater's skull.

A stray spell hit her sherry bottle as she raised it to her lips, smashing it and casting shards of glass into her face.

She fell backward, shrieking.

And she fell over the parapet.

She had a moment of pure relief when she landed on something soft instead of the hard stone she had been expecting.

And then the Devil's Snare, unable to tell friend from foe, began to cover her.

* * *

Morag Plunkett found herself unable to scream, as the air in her lungs suddenly changed to chlorine gas.

She fell to the ground, scratching at her throat, her face turning greenish black.

"Killing children now, Minerva?"

Her head spun to the voice, and she snarled.

"No, Severus. Killing Death Eaters and betrayers"

He smiled darkly, bowing slightly in her direction.

"Just so"

And then the fight was on.

* * *

Capella walked through Hogwarts, staving off a terrible feeling of wrongness, and fighting everyone she saw who wasn't a friend.

At some point, she had gotten separated from Bellatrix, yet she was still determined to make her proud.

But a strange thought kept niggling at her, kept making her feel like she had been through a battle in Hogwarts, but on a different side.

' _Never. Never been here before. Capella's never been here before'_

"Tonks?"

She turned with a growl, her wand flashing.

Sturgis Podmore fell, sliced open from waist to collarbone.

"I'm not Tonks," she muttered, feeling her teeth. "I'm not!"

She wanted to find a bathroom, to look in a mirror and make sure there was no writing on her chest. She could feel that there was nothing carved there, but she couldn't be sure without looking. She couldn't be sure, not without tearing her robes.

Bellatrix said she mustn't just open her robes to check. Not in public.

Her fingers ran along her teeth.

"Tonks didn't have teeth. Capella has teeth. I have teeth. I have clothes. I'm Capella. I have to be"

She shuddered, not wanting to imagine what would happen if she wasn't Capella if she somehow became Tonks again.

"No. Not Tonks. Not Tonks"

And then she heard his voice.

"T-Tonks?"

She turned slowly to the side, not wanting to see, wanting to just kill.

His face was horribly burned, the skin on his cheeks all bubbly all gross, and his hair was long, but something about him made her think of happiness.

Something about him made her think of a baby.

"Tonks? It is-it is you! Merlin, it's you!"

She wanted to kill him. But her arm was too heavy to raise.

"I'm not Tonks," she whispered, "I'm Capella"

He looked at her for a moment, pain in every line of his face.

"You-you were Tonks. Do you-do you remember? Do you remember me?"

Against her will, her hand snuck into her robe and started stroking her chest, making sure that no writing was appearing.

"Remus?" She whispered.

With tears pouring down his face, he smiled.

"That's-that's me, Tonks-Ca-Capella. Do you-do you remember us?"

They stood there, staring into each other's eyes, heedless of the battle being waged around them, of the screams of the injured and dying.

"I-I-I'm not Tonks! I have teeth! I have clothes! I'm not Tonks!"

He held his hands up entreatingly, his wand disappearing up his sleeve.

"I know, I know. Please. Capella. Come-come with me. We'll get away from here, save ourselves, and I-"

She knew that she should kill him, that she shouldn't listen to a werewolf's attempts to seduce her.

But she couldn't raise her wand.

"Please! We were happy together, we can be happy again"

She felt something on her chest, a phantom knife running gently along her skin, its edge prickling.

"I'm Capella"

He nodded slowly, not taking his eyes off of hers.

"You can become Tonks again, if-"

The knife sliced into her chest, her teeth disappeared, her fingertips vanished, and her clothes were gone. She felt a collar clicking closed around her neck and heard Sharptooth's voice.

She screamed.

"I'M NOT TONKS! AVADA KEDAVRA!"

The green jet struck his chest, and Remus Lupin fell dead.

She stood there for a minute, breathing heavily.

"I'm not Tonks. I'm Capella. I'm Capella. I'm Capella. I have teeth and clothes, and I'm not Tonks"

She walked away, leaving behind the body of a man who she once loved more than anything.

* * *

Harry sat down for a minute, just to stretch out his legs and relax before heading back into it.

Daphne stood guard at the entrance to the room, and in a few minutes, they'd switch places.

Slowly, they'd made their way down from the seventh floor to the third as they fought, running and killing and jumping and cursing.

"Still no sign of Weasley? Or Patil?"

Daphne shook her head, slashing her wand forward and blowing up something just outside the room.

He stood up again, rubbing the blood out of his eyes.

"This is so fucking amazing. Here, babe. Sit for a minute"

"HOLY SHIT! SIR, IN HERE! SNAPE, HERE!"

Harry ran forward at her shout, arriving at the door just in time to help her catch Snape when he stumbled.

He looked a mess, his robes torn and burnt all over, bits of bone poking through his left arm, a thick, deep gash across his chest.

"Daph! Do something"

She stared at Snape for a long second.

"Come on! You're better with all the healing stuff than me!"

"Give me your hand," she said, her tone brooking no argument.

He held his left hand out to her, wincing as she drew her wand across the palm, leaving a long, thin cut.

She muttered as the blood dropped, making it glow silver as it fell onto Snape's chest and face.

Slowly, the chest wound closed up, the cuts on his face healing as well.

"Can't do much about the arm. I can splint it, I guess, but that's it"

"I'll deal with it"

Harry all but jumped at the sound of Snape's voice.

"Fucking hell! What happened?"

"McGonagall happened," Snape said with a groan, "I would stay clear of her if I were you"

He nodded, his eyes wide.

"Thank you, Miss Greengrass. I'm quite certain you just saved my life"

Daphne just smirked.

"Just-guard me, for a bit. While I deal with this arm. Then we'll move forward"

* * *

Rookwood walked through the castle, a small army of children under the Imperius ahead of him.

He heard someone vomiting loudly from up ahead, and pushed one of his frontmost servants ahead.

Colin Creevey looked up, his arms still around the tiny body in front of him.

"C-C-Cormac? Pl-please, I-I need help, De-Dennis is hurt, and-"

Cormac only fought for a split-second, his mind crushing easily under Rookwood's control.

He raised his wand.

"Avada Kedavra!"

* * *

Slowly, the tide of battle forced all the combatants into the Great Hall.

Outside, one of the Giant's had fallen, its arm smashing through the castle walls in its death throes.

And in the kitchens, Pomona Sprout stood over the crying, praying children, her hands absentmindedly stroking a clay pot.

* * *

The Dark Lord stood in the center of the Great Hall, the stones around Him all scorched and broken, some of them melting into lava from the fury of the duel.

From Voldemort's fury as he faced off against Gellert Grindelwald.

Spells flew faster than onlookers' eyes could track, a deadly fireworks show.

Fiery animals appeared and vanished, blades and whips flew, as the titans of magic fought.

Neither of them moved more than was necessary, their body only shifting or twisting an inch.

And they fought, unseen magic burning the air, power crackling around them.

Near their lord, George Weasley and Padma Patil stood, both of them shaking as they fought, their wand movements clunky, their every action seeming to be forced through pain. Still, they fought, as Rookwood sent spells over the heads of his Imperius'd slaves, who themselves attacked Grindelwald's chosen.

Bellatrix Lestrange and Minerva McGonagall circled, their duel one of leaps and jumps, Transfiguration and Conjuration.

Bellatrix tossed her hair back, laughing as she deflected another of McGonagall's curses back at her.

Harry, Daphne, Snape, Blaise, and Horatio walked into the Great Hall together.

Just in time to see a spell fly under Bella's outstretched arm and collide with her chest.

She gave a small "oh" of surprise, the exclamation somehow audible over the screams of war.

And she fell forward, landing with a thud.

Harry, Daphne, and Snape all acted simultaneously, casting Killing Curses at the Transfiguration Professor.

And from the other side of the room, Capella did too.

As McGonagall fell, Capella ran forward, wailing as she fell to her knees next to Bella's corpse.

The Dark Lord noticed, and His eyes widened.

"What's the matter, Voldemort?" Grindelwald taunted, "did you love her?"

Voldemort growled, slashing His wand and opening a pit under Grindelwald's feet.

Grindelwald managed to close it, swinging his hand up just in time to blast aside a stone serpent.

"Come now, Voldemort. Surely you can do better than that" his free hand shot forward, droplets of blood streaming over his spell toward the Dark Lord.

Voldemort growled, throwing His own hand out, His own blood meeting Grindelwald's halfway between them with a small explosion, as a pillar rose from the stone floor and blocked the curse that had been headed his way.

"So you have learned," Grindelwald said, "But I will not be beaten. Not by you. Not while I bear the Deathstick"

Voldemort's eyes widened, and he attacked with renewed vigor.

A fiery snake shot from His wand, followed by a swarm of bees. He raised His wand as Grindelwald vanished the snake, a whip trailing from the tip.

He cracked it toward Grindelwald.

A large stone flew from the wall, intercepting the whip and dragging the Dark Lord's wand toward the floor.

The swarm of bees changed into a swarm of daggers, and Grindelwald raised his Wand to blast them at his enemy.

And one of Rookwood's puppets finally succeeded, his spell taking George Weasley in the face and blasting his skull open.

Immediately, Padma vomited, her wand falling from her fingers.

A Killing Curse took her in the chest.

And Grindelwald stumbled.

He managed to deflect the Dark Lord's next spell, his Wand spinning up and around. But as he stumbled again, his arm clearly shaking, a large stone flew from the wall behind him, colliding roughly with his back.

And as he fell, the Dark Lord's wand slashed downward.

The Elder Wand flew through the air, landing smoothly in the Dark Lord's hand.

"Thank you, Gellert," He said, His voice full of unholy triumph, as He passed His yew wand to His left hand, "truly, you have Lord Voldemort's gratitude"

Before Grindelwald could even respond, the Dark Lord's wands flashed, His arms crossing each other in an X shape.

The once upon a time Terror of Europe was decapitated, his head rising high into the air.

The entire crowd fell silent, no one daring to break the moment.

His wands flashed again, and the ground below Voldemort rumbled, stone rising in a large mound, pushing Him high above the crowd.

And when He spoke, His voice echoed through the entire castle, every person there hearing it as clearly and loudly as if He was speaking in their ear.

"I offer one final chance for surrender"

In the kitchens, Pomona Sprout swallowed, tears flooding down her face as she gently placed the pot down and stood, beginning to make her way to the doors.

"Lay down your wands, stop fighting, swear allegiance to me, and you will live. Every person who continues to fight from this point on will be displayed as an example to all others who would stand against me. Their suffering will be beyond words. Lay down your wands, and I will accept your surrender"

The crowd slowly moved as someone walked through it.

Professor Sprout reached the foot of the Dark Lord's makeshift podium.

She fell to one knee, drawing her wand and placing it on the floor before her.

"On behalf of Hogwarts, I declare our surrender"

No one shouted at her, no one disagreed.

One by one, the defenders of Hogwarts kneeled, placing their wands in front of them.

A great cheer erupted from the Death Eaters.

The stone continued to rise around the Dark Lord, forming itself into a throne.

He sat on it, His fingers rubbing over the smooth wood of the Elder Wand.

He sat on His throne in the ruined wreckage of the Great Hall, and His gleaming eyes roamed over the crowd of loyal warriors and subjugated enemies.

His eyes paused for a moment on Harry Potter and Daphne Greengrass, their bodies wrapped around each other in a kiss of perfect ecstasy.

Outside, the sun began to rise, a new day dawning.

And Lord Voldemort smiled.

It was the twenty-third of February, the year of our Lord nineteen ninety-seven, and Europe was entirely in Lord Voldemort's hands.

As was only right.

 **AS ALWAYS: REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW.**

 **STILL TWO CHAPTERS LEFT.  
**


	14. Snapshots

**AN: I OWN NOTHING**

 **PLEASE REVIEW/P.M. ME**

 **ENJOY!**

Snapshots

 _November 18, 1998,_

It had taken a lot of work to get to this point. Mostly on the squibs' parts, true, but still, much time and effort had been put in to ensure this outcome.

The squibs had traveled to Australia the muggle way, spending tens of hours on their flying contraptions, entrusting themselves to technology over oceans.

Then they'd been forced to find the Australian magical community, itself a daunting task.

The Australian witches and wizards had preferred building their homes in the Outback to hiding amongst muggles, using weather charms to allow themselves to survive the otherwise unbearable conditions.

The squibs had slowly infiltrated, posing as refugees fleeing the war.

Then they'd had to find the Australian wizards who agreed with the Death Eaters, and who would be willing to betray their countrymen.

That too had taken time.

But they had done it.

After that, it was simply a matter of coordinating attacks, waging a war which the government could not win, driving them further and further into desperation and fear.

Lord Voldemort moved His wand an inch.

The quill flew up from the table, directly into the hand of Timothy Brandt, Australian Minister for Magic.

"Sign", He hissed.

And with trembling fingers, Timothy pushed quill to parchment, signing Australia's unconditional surrender.

* * *

 _June 8, 2001_

Sobhuza Mbetwe snarled, his hand curling into a tight fist.

"Were we not under a truce meeting," he growled, all but spitting at the young man opposite him, "I would-"

"Yes, yes," Harry Potter said, smiling widely and waving a hand negligently, "you would do something horribly violent to me. Or try to, at least. But we are under a truce, aren't we?"

Sobhuza just gritted his teeth.

Harry sighed, idly scratching at a long scar along his cheek before talking.

"Now. You and your people have fought well. My lord offers His congratulations for that. Whatever happens, you'll go down in history as those who lasted the longest. But the fight ends now"

"We shall never-"

"Shut the fuck up. We have your grandchildren. Now, you might be prepared for them to die. But are you prepared for what we will actually do to them?"

He hesitated. Just for a second, but that proved to be long enough for the mad smile to return to Potter's face.

"Crabbe! Bring her in!"

The door opened, and a hulking, brutish figure of a man walked in.

Pulling a naked woman on a leash.

He could only stare, as she was led into the room.

One of her eyes was missing, and one of her arms was gone from the elbow down.

But what drew his eye were the scars all over her body, the crisscrossing whip marks, the word carved into her chest.

But even more than that was the look of utter obedience on her face.

' _Worse than a House-Elf'_

He looked at her rounded belly and shivered, trying not to allow himself to imagine the circumstances under which this poor girl could have conceived.

Potter followed his eyes and laughed, shrill and cold.

"Whore, tell Mr. Mbetwe how many children you've given birth to"

When she spoke, he realized with a cold shock that she didn't have any teeth.

"Three, sir"

"Are you allowed to spend any time with them, whore?"

"No, sir"

"And why not?" Potter asked, cruel amusement filling his words.

"They don't need to have a worthless, disgusting whore like me for a mother"

The words were delivered in a dead, robotic tone.

"Thank you, Crabbe. Take the whore and go"

She almost fell, when the thug pulled the leash sharply.

She quickly recovered her equilibrium though, and left on shaking legs.

"Now, you might even be able to leave your granddaughters to that fate. Who knows, right? But you won't gain anything"

"Africa-"

"Will fall, very soon. Shut up and listen. We control the entire world besides your stinking continent. And we control the muggle militaries as well. We've gotten rid of most of their nuclear bombs, but we've kept some. Enough to send entire Africa to hell"

His eyes widened.

"You wouldn't" he whispered.

And unbelievably, Potter laughed.

"We're going to. We don't want to, but we will. Look, we want Africa to be part of our new world. You guys have magical arts we don't, you've got a whole genetic pool we'd love to tap into, and you have centuries worth of history and knowledge. We don't want to utterly destroy you. But we will. We fucking will"

"You-"

"We will, Mbetwe. We will. And afterward, we'll perform the Atlantis ritual. Apparently, it'll take ten thousand sacrifices, and my Lord Himself will have to power it, but we'll do it. We'll destroy Africa, and then we'll sink it. Trust me, we don't want to. It might have some seriously shitty effects on the rest of the world. But if we have to, we will. And we'll keep your granddaughters and all the other captives so that your genetic material isn't entirely lost to us"

He tried to shout, but it only emerged as a frightened, horrified whisper. "You would destroy the world"

Potter just shrugged. "Our researchers don't think so. They say that if the ritual's performed correctly, it should have minimal negative effects. My Lord concurs. We will do it, I assure you"

Potter's voice changed, became a wheedling, beckoning tone.

"Surrender, and the fighting stops, all the captives get returned to you, all of your actions get forgiven, and you join the Empire. Continue fighting, and we will eradicate you. Choose"

Looking into the insane eyes opposite him, Sobhuza could easily believe that they would destroy Africa, would risk destroying the world, rather than leaving it out of their clutches.

With tears in his eyes and a heavy heart, Sobhuza spoke.

"We will surrender"

* * *

 _April 1, 2002_

He cradled him gently, marveling over how soft, how small he was.

His newborn, firstborn son.

It was absurd, that he, with his hands so bloodstained, with his soup torn to shreds, could have created something so beautiful, so wondrous.

"He's perfect" he murmured, one finger softly rubbing his son's belly.

Daphne smiled at him, looking exhausted and resplendent.

"He is," she replied, taking a proffered potion from one of the nurses, "and he's ours. God, can you believe it?"

He just shook his head, looking into his son's bright green eyes as he slowly rocked him in his arms.

"Our little Damien"

* * *

 _July 12, 2004_

It was a scene echoed everywhere in the world. At least, everywhere with a sizable wizarding population.

Harry and Daphne stood near the large window on the top floor of the Dark Lord's manor house. Damien was curled up on one of the couches, exhausted after running around the grounds the whole morning. But they stood, along with the rest of the higher ranking Death Eaters, with the Dark Lord sitting on His throne, and they watched as fighter jets flew through the air and explosions rocked the grounds.

The manor and its grounds had been buffeted with every protective spell known to wizardkind, giving the sky a purplish tinge.

As, of course, had Diagon and Knockturn, Hogsmeade, and any central meeting point for masses of witches or wizards.

Anyone who wanted to watch the Imperius'd muggle militaries turn on their own kind would have a place to safely watch from.

"And after the bombs," the Dark Lord said, "the tanks. Then the soldiers. Rupert?"

Rupert stepped forward, shaking out of his reverie and coughing into a fist before talking.

"We estimate that within two years, we will be able to get eighty percent of the muggles in urban areas. At that point, My Lord, we believe the military will have served their use, and we will be able to send our own squads to finish the job. Of course, we can not assume we will get them all. Rats always find a way to hide"

The Dark Lord stroked His chin thoughtfully. "That they do. What of those in rural areas?"

Rupert swallowed.

"We-we cannot be certain, my lord. But we think it will take ten years to achieve with them what we achieve in the cities in one"

The Dark Lord said nothing, only smiling slightly as a large explosion rocked the village below.

"They-in the rural areas, my lord, they have learned how to-to live off of the land. The-the destruction of their civilization will not shatter them as it will those in the cities"

"And in the other countries?"

"It-it is hard to say exactly, my lord. In the-the third world counties, we-we can expect them to last longer. But-but even there, twenty-five years, and-and they should be severely endangered. And the-the Sterility Potions, they're working. Aerosolizing them didn't affect their effectiveness, so there won't be another generation of muggles. We are looking at the end of the muggle race, my lord"

Voldemort chuckled, and when He did, many of his loyal followers did as well.

The laughter woke up Damien, and Daphne quickly hushed him before he could begin to cry.

"The end?" Voldemort asked. "No, Rupert. Merely the end of their sovereignty"

* * *

 _November 27, 2006_

Blaise gently placed a single black rose in front of the tombstone before standing and putting his hand on the cool marble.

"Well. Happy death-day, Theo. I hope you're happy, wherever the hell you are. Ten years, mate. Ten years without you. Hard to believe it"

Birds sang as they flew. The sky was clear, the sun weak, and the birds still sang.

As if Theo wasn't still dead.

"I still-I still miss you. I still love you. And I-I still-I still feel like I'm betraying you, sometimes. I'll look over at Horatio, and think what the fuck am I doing. And then I'll remember. And it hurts. But I-I still have to live. We have a kid now, me and Horatio. A little boy"

He began to cry softly.

"His name-he's Theo. He just turned six. He's brilliant. Perfect. And he-he should have been ours"

He rubbed his eyes furiously, pausing his speech for a moment.

"We're thinking about trying to get another one. They've been putting all pressure on people, to have as many kids as possible. Giving money, and land and stuff. Harry-they've already got two. So's Draco. And Andrea, she got married. To Alaine. Crazy, but they did it. He works with Horatio, in the Department of Mysteries. They think they'll be able to give squibs magic. I know. I know. It's crazy. But the Dark Lord-the Emperor, now, He's set on it. And they're doing all this crazy shit, and I'm still working with Harry. We're still Death Eaters. Only now that means Secret Police"

He lit up a cigarette, blue smoke filling the air until a gust of wind scattered it.

"It's fun, I guess. And it's definitely prestigious. That's for sure. We've had to deal with one real threat. Some group in Wales, they just wouldn't shut up about injustice and shit. The rest of the time, it's just investigating. And getting information and names from people"

He glanced at his watch, grimacing.

"I-I need to go. Horatio's working late today, so I've got to pick up Theo. I-I still love you. I guess I always will"

He took one last lingering look at the tombstone before spinning on the spot, apparating away with a loud crack.

* * *

 _January 1, 2007_

She walked the streets like a lonely ghost, her pale hair hanging behind her, giving her the appearance of a specter.

She hadn't been out much, the last two years or so. She had no interest in being a part of the jeering crowds, watching as helpless muggles were forced to kill their own people.

And then, with her father's illness, she'd been practically stuck at home nursing him, with the exception of a few trips to Diagon for medicine and supplies.

Those had been terrible. On the last trip, she'd seen Harry Potter. He was there, walking calmly along with his wife and two sons.

The happy family seemed oblivious to the frightened glances shot their way, to the way people had jumped out of their path.

But Harry had seen her, and had smiled, and made a beeline to her.

She'd smiled politely as she was introduced to his children, somehow managing to ignore the impulse to just shout at him with everything she had.

And he'd smiled, and told her how he was responsible for her imprisonment that horrible year, how he'd requested that she not be killed or tortured like the rest of Neville's friends and family.

And she had smiled and thanked him.

And now, Luna felt more alone than she ever had in her life.

True, her father was doing better. But somehow, she wished he wasn't. Not that he was dead or anything, not that. Just, that when he was still ill, she was busy looking after him.

Now, she had nothing to do.

And all of her friends, few though they had been, were dead.

She shuddered, thinking of the horrible rumors she'd heard about Ginny.

She hoped she was dead. She hoped Ginny was dead and with the rest of her family, rather than what she had heard.

She tried not to look at the ruined buildings around her. She'd always found a stark beauty in them, in the gray towers.

Now they had enormous holes in them, and they were empty, devoid of life.

Eventually, her wandering ended, and she found herself on the edge of a bridge, looking down on a raging river below.

Even in the dark of night, she could see the black shapes of the large stones, ten meters below her.

' _A fall from here would kill even a witch'_

She thought about what it would be like, in the next life. How she would see her mother again, and all of her friends.

And she closed her eyes, preparing to take the step.

"Miss? Are you all right? Miss?!"

The words, spoken in slightly accented English, were just enough to pull her back from the edge.

She leaned back against the railing and didn't look around, still keeping her eyes tightly closed.

"I used to think," she said, "that the world was a wonderful place, full of joy and laughter. And now I wonder why it even carries on spinning. Humans don't deserve it"

Slowly, she swung her head around.

The man standing there couldn't have been much older than her, and yet she was certain he hadn't been at Hogwarts.

He looked at her thoughtfully, seeming to turn the words over in his mind before speaking.

"Animals do" he finally said.

"What's your favorite animal?" She asked, still staring at him intently.

"Depends. Favorite magical creature would have to be a Demiguise. My grandfather had one. He was a lovely little thing"

"And non-magical?"

He smiled, his teeth bright in the darkness.

"A three-toed sloth. What about you?"

"Nargles," she said. "Nargles and emperor penguins. Although I don't like that name anymore"

He nodded.

"Sorry, Miss, but it's making me a bit uncomfortable. Do you-do you mind stepping over the railing, please?"

And she did, vaulting over it with a giggle.

She was shocked to realize that it was the first time she had spontaneously laughed in years.

And she realized right then, how empty her life had been without it.

She walked over to him, pulling her cloak tight against the cold wind.

"I must thank you," she said, "I was going to do something very foolish"

This close to him, she could make out his features.

Something about them rang a bell in her mind. Something about his jawline, his nose, made her think of happiness and relaxation.

He looked at her with soft eyes.

"The war was tough on you, wasn't it?" He said gently.

"It was tough on everyone. But I-I-I have no more friends. One or two survived. And they would be better off dead"

"I know that feeling," the man said with a deep sigh. "My brother. He was the year below me in Durmstrang. I finished school the same year the-the Emperor revealed his continued existence. But Deckard, he-he couldn't keep his mouth closed. Of course, he couldn't. We were raised to believe that animals were to be treated like people. All the more so muggles. And so-so Deckard and a few of his friends were murdered in their school, by people who I had trusted and liked"

"Harry Potter was my friend once," she whispered tearfully, "he was kind and nice, and gentle. And now-"

She cut that sentence off, shaking her head briskly.

She wouldn't cry for him, wouldn't shed a tear for Ron's murderer.

"I'm Luna," she said, stretching out a hand, "Luna Lovegood. What's your name?"

He enveloped her hand in surprisingly warm, calloused fingers.

"Rolf Scamander. It's a pleasure to meet you, Luna"

* * *

 _September 1, 2012_

He leaned back in the deck chair, idly clinking his glass against Draco's.

Ahead of them, the children were involved in a lively game of Quidditch.

Well, Damien and Lucius had loudly whined about the ignominy of being forced to use training brooms, and once their older brothers complained, Hector and Scorpius had easily gotten into the act.

They'd tried to get Bellona to come and cry to Harry about it, knowing that he couldn't refuse her anything, but she was far more interested in chasing the peacocks and trying to pull their feathers off.

Daphne and Tori were in the house with Narcissa and the younger girls.

It was a perfect day.

"Crazy, isn't it. Next year this time, we'll be at King's Cross"

Harry snorted. "I'm just waiting for Snape's reaction. Another Potter and Malfoy. Wouldn't be surprised if he just quits on the spot"

"Yeah"

Lucius shouted at Scorpius for letting the quaffle through, while Hector cheered his brother on.

"You know, I might be doing some teaching"

Draco almost dropped his glass.

"What?" He spluttered.

"I know, right? But, the quality of new recruits is way down. They're thinking about making a class for seventh years. Those who're interested, at least"

"And you would-what? Teach them interrogation? That type of thing?"

Harry's fingers ran across his face, rubbing his scars.

"Yeah. Counter-terrorism. Interrogation. The type of stuff we learned early"

"You gonna do it?"

"Thinking about it," he admitted. "It'd only be once a week, and only even for the last term. But it sounds pretty cool. What do you think?"

Draco chewed on his lips as he watched the impromptu diving competition break out.

"Any minute now, and one of them will crash" he mused absently, before shaking his head and turning to Harry.

"I think you should do it, mate. Seriously. You'd be good at it, and you'll have fun. Go for it"

He swirled the firewhisky around his mouth, letting it burn his cheeks a little bit before swallowing.

"You know what? I think I will"

* * *

 _January 1, 2013_

"The-the incentive programs have worked tremendously, my lord. Over the last ten years, we have seen an average seventy percent increase in birth rate"

"Excellent. What did those surveyed have to say was the largest cause?"

"The land, then the societal pressure, then the draft deferments, then the financial assistance"

Voldemort smiled.

"Excellent. Thank you, Rupert. Dismissed. Harry, report"

He stepped forward smoothly, raising the documents he had long ago memorized.

"We have seen a decrease in actual action, my lord, although some criticism still remains. Of course, the offending newspapers and radio stations were shut down and the people responsible arrested, but graffiti still occasionally occurs"

He paused for a moment, expecting a comment. When none came, he carried on his report.

"The measures taken in Africa, particularly Swaziland, have proven successful. Our Departments across the continent have shown a greatly reduced number of incidents. However, the Departments in Mexico and in Taiwan have been facing difficulties. Nothing particularly onerous, merely rabble-rousing at this point, but I have authorized an increased presence and harsher public punishments. The former Chief Auror in Western Canada was replaced last month, and since then, there have been twenty-one arrests, all involved with the terrorists there"

"What of Corsica?"

He swallowed. "I should have a more full report within the month, my lord. But it seems that both the Agricultural Minister and the Liaison there have been involved with the terrorists. Our investigation continues, my lord"

The Dark Lord's hand waved, and he continued.

"Siberia is back under our control, and the leaders have been crucified. Our investigation into the hit-wizard squad here is still ongoing, but it is bearing fruit. One of the three suspects came forward begging for clemency, and he had a large list of names. We are still processing them"

"Excellent, Harry. Truly excellent. You will be teaching at Hogwarts?"

"Yes, my lord. But only the third term"

"Severus has said that there has been an increase in graffiti, and in defacements to the statues and memorials"

"I-I believe that is mostly youthful high-spirits, my lord. My son told me that it is mostly first years doing it as a bet, and even then, most of the children from reputable families are happy to show them the error of their ways"

"Good. But not good enough. A lack of respect at a young age breeds rebellion in later years. During the third term, you will handle discipline"

"Of course, my lord," he said with a bow.

"Use the three strike system. And if Sprout presents issues, remind her that she serves as Headmistress at my discretion alone and that the Department of Mysteries always requires more test subjects"

* * *

 _May 18, 2013_

He leaned back in his chair and smiled at the punctual, nervous knock at his office door.

"Come in"

The door opened and a small, pale boy with a Gryffindor tie stepped in.

"Ah, Mr. Abercrombie, right on time. Have a seat"

The boy shakily took the chair opposite him, his eyes darting around the office and settling here and there on the implements scattered around.

"Would you like some tea?"

The boy shook himself and looked back at Harry.

"N-no, s-sir"

"All right then. Tell me," he glanced at the paper in his hand for a second, "Aaron. Would you like to join my class?"

"I-I thought it was only for-for seventh years, sir?"

He smiled widely, leaning forward.

"It is. But somehow, we just can't keep a test subject for too long"

The boy looked like he was about to vomit.

"Now, Aaron. You're only a first year, and it seems like you're already on the wrong path in life. Defacing the Emperor's statue?"

He shook his head sadly, tut-tutting under his breath.

"It was-it was-it was just a fake nose!"

He drew his wand slowly, making sure the boy could see.

"A fake nose now, some posters next year, attacking an Auror two years later. I know how this story goes, Aaron. I know it well"

"Pl-pl-please! It was just-just- it was a bet! That's all!"

"A. Bet."

The boy nodded his head frantically.

"Fifty Galleons! I-I-it was just a bet! Just a joke!"

He whistled. "Fifty Galleons. Who bet you that?"

Aaron hesitated.

"If you don't tell me who bet you, I must assume that it wasn't a bet, but rather something far more sinister. You don't want that, do you?"

He gripped his wand, ever so slowly raising it.

"Michael! Michael Collins! I swear, it was Michael Collins!"

He lowered his wand, smiling widely.

"Michael Collins," he said, marking it down. "Thank you, Aaron. Now, about your punishment"

"My-"

"Punishment. I think fifteen seconds ought to do it"

He saw the boy's eyes widen as he raised his wand again.

"Crucio!"

True to his word, he ended the spell after exactly fifteen seconds.

The boy had fallen off of his chair with his thrashing and lay on the cold floor in a trembling heap, piss staining through his robes.

"That was your first strike. Next time is thirty seconds, the time after that is a minute. After that, you will be marked as irredeemable and given to the Department of Mysteries. Get out of my office, and send in Collins"

As the boy rose and hobbled to the door, he called after him.

"If Collins isn't here within an hour, that will be strike two"

And Aaron ran.

* * *

 _April 1, 2017_

"Happy birthday, Damien!"

Damien smiled up at him.

"Thanks, dad"

Harry pushed the parchment and blood quill in front of him.

"There's something I want to talk to you about. But I need you to sign this first"

Damien just looked at him with confusion. The raven glinted on his wrist.

"Look. It's just a promise that you won't talk to anyone about what I'm gonna tell you. Except me and your mother, of course. And the Emperor, if he ever asks. And the rest of our family, once they've all signed"

"The rest of our family?"

"Not our cousins. I mean your siblings. And your wife, one day. And the rest of your siblings' spouses, once they join the family. And have signed it"

He still looked hesitant. Harry suppressed a sigh and took his hand.

"Listen. There's no penalty. It'll just stop you from being able to talk about it. I really want to tell you this. And the Emperor said I could, but only once we've put safeguards into place to prevent this knowledge from spreading. It's really important, Damien"

Slowly, he signed, wincing as his hand was momentarily sliced open.

He looked at Harry expectantly.

"I was your age, when I was told about this," he began, still remembering that night with perfect clarity. "Tell me, Damien. Have you ever heard of Horcruxes?"

* * *

 _August 5, 2021_

He was sitting on the couch, reading out interesting bits of the Prophet to Daphne, when a blood-curdling shriek tore through the house.

Hector and Livia both looked up, distracted from his explanation on what would await her in her first year in Hogwarts.

Daphne stood up, looking at Harry with a scowl.

"I'll get it this time. Next time, though, you're on"

"Sure"

Daphne strode onto the porch, and they all heard her enter disciplinarian mode as she berated her daughter.

"Bellona! You know Agrippa's ill and having a nap! Shut that thing up!"

Bellona's reply floated through the open doors.

"Sorry, mum. You heard her, you stupid fuck! Shut up! Shut the fuck up!"

"What part of keep it down don't you understand? And wash up before you come in!"

"Sorry, mum! Will do!"

Daphne strode back in, hands on her hips.

"I blame you," she said pointing at Harry. "Ever since you gave her that book, it's been non-stop!"

"Still with the flaying?"

"Yeah. And she's got blood everywhere! You need to work on her concentration, otherwise, I'll make you clean up the kennels, and-"

"Dad?" Livia asked suddenly, interrupting the rant, "is anything ready to eat?"

He shrugged, putting down the paper. "Angie!"

She walked into the room listlessly, the same time that Bellona came in from the garden.

He looked Angie over for a second, his lip curling. She was useful, true. But he still didn't like having a muggle in the house. She should be working on the farms or in the kennels with the rest of them. Unfortunately, it was the in thing. House-Elves were old news.

"Angie. Is anything ready to eat?"

"Not yet, sir"

Livia muttered something, making Hector burst out laughing.

"Why not?"

"I haven't been sure whether to make for Master Damien or not. I'm sorry, sir, but I-"

"You stupid fucking cow! I told you he won't be here tonight! Just make the fucking dinner!"

She cowered.

"Why the fuck do I even bother with you? If you keep on like this, I'm selling you to the whorehouses"

"As if they'll take her," Hector said snidely, "they prefer them thinner than that pig"

"Hector," Bellona asked innocently, "how do you know so much about the whorehouses?"

His head spun toward her, his red eyes gleaming.

"What, you're worried I'll see Sebastian there? You should be, I see him at the Poly-Parlors all the time! You should take better care of your hair, or-"

Harry's wand flashed, throwing up a shield between them just as his daughter tried to curse his son.

"Hector. Let's go have a chat"

Hector took one look at his face and nodded, eyes immediately dropping to his shoes.

As they started walking toward the gardens, he heard Daphne calling Bellona.

And Livia shouting "can't you just fucking cook it already you muggle bitch?"

He kept his chuckle internal, forcing his face to stay serious.

"Tell me, Hector. What were you trying to do?"

Hector stared at the raven on his wrist, scratching it as he mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Hurt her"

"And?"

"And we don't hurt family," he said with a sigh, "not their bodies and not their feelings. I know. I'm sorry, dad. But she started it!"

"She did. And you took it way further than her"

Hector just turned his arm, letting the raven catch the light.

"Is it true though? You see him at the Poly-Parlors?"

"Yeah"

Harry scratched at his scar.

"Maybe I should have a word with him" he mused.

"I-I don't think you need to. I spoke to him"

He looked at his son appraisingly. "What did you say?"

"I just-I showed him that memory you showed me once. Of that guy. Fred Weasley?"

Harry burst out laughing, making Hector smile.

"Yeah. I told him if he hurts her he'll be a lot worse than that"

Harry clapped him on the back.

"Good. Now, you'll apologize to her?"

"Yeah"

"And seriously. I don't want to hear you saying things to hurt her. Not on purpose, and not out of stupidity. Ok?"

"But-"

"She started it. You don't have to carry it on. She's your sister. Keep it for the enemies"

* * *

 _March 3, 2026_

Blaise was nervous. He could tell, just from the way he walked up to him.

"Harry. We-we have a situation"

He smiled.

"About Bellona?"

"How-how'd you know?"

Harry just tapped his wrist.

Blaise hit himself in the forehead. "Of course. Of fucking course"

"Don't worry about it. Took us ten years to figure out how to use them to communicate. But yeah, I've heard from her. What've they said to you?"

"They say-they say they'll return her unharmed, and they want some prisoners in exchange"

"Stall. She's getting information, and then we're going in"

Blaise nodded. "What's she said so far?"

"Total amateurs. They didn't take her clothes, not even to search her, so she's still got her back-up wand. She says she isn't even tied up, just guarded. No wards on the place, at all. We could apparate in right now. She says they're the ones behind the recent graffiti and posters and shit. Nothing serious"

"And they took her?" Blade asked incredulously.

Harry just laughed.

"They didn't mean to. She says one of them vomited when they realized who she is. She's just been telling them what we're gonna do to them"

"Merlin, Harry. Your daughter is one of a kind"

"She is"

"Um. When we go..."

Blaise trailed off under Harry's gaze. Suddenly the humor was gone from his eyes.

"They took my daughter," he whispered. "Mistake or not, danger or not, they took her. They're coming to my house, Blaise. You can have them in a year and a day"

"Harry-"

"You can have one. To parade around. But the rest are coming to my house. They made it a family affair. They have to deal with my family"

* * *

 _July 31, 2028_

He held his first grandson close to him, still marveling over how tiny babies were.

"We want to name him after you"

He looked up suddenly, meeting Damien's blood-red gaze.

"First grandson, and born on your birthday. We just-we think it's appropriate. Samantha agrees before you even ask"

He held the baby close to him and smiled down into Harry Potter's face.

"Happy birthday, Harry Potter," he said softly.

* * *

And throughout this all, Lord Voldemort, once called Tom Marvolo Riddle, now called Emperor, sits on His throne and rules. He is intelligent. He will not do something as foolish as banning Quidditch or the international equivalents, no. He hosts them in larger stadiums than ever before, and He opens the games with speeches about how once, it would have been impossible for witches and wizards to be in such a large space without having to hide from the animals that once ruled the earth.

He is ruthless. Any threat to His reign is cut off long before it could raise steam.

He is cunning. The new generations are being raised in the lap of luxury, and they are taught that it is purely due to His efforts.

He is worshipped. He rules the entire world. With a word, he decrees life or death, rich or poor, suffering or happiness.

He is worshipped, feared, and loved.

As is only right.

 **AS ALWAYS: REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW**


	15. Epilogue

**AN: I OWN NOTHING**

 **PLEASE REVIEW/P.M. ME**

 **ENJOY!**

 **WHEW. THIS IS IT. THE END OF THE SERIES. ENORMOUS THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO GAVE ME CRITICISM AND ENCOURAGEMENT AND WHO SHOWED THEIR INTEREST IN THIS STORY. I HONESTLY WOULD HAVE GIVEN UP HALF-WAY THROUGH IF NOT FOR YOU GUYS. AND THANK YOU TO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU WHO READ IT, WHO STUCK WITH IT THROUGH THE SHITTY CHAPTERS AND SHODDY WRITING. THANK YOU ALL.**

 **SINCE A FEW PEOPLE HAVE ASKED: I HAVE NO PLANS TO WRITE ANOTHER SERIES AT THE MOMENT. MAYBE AT SOME POINT, BUT FOR NOW I WANT TO RELAX A BIT. I PROBABLY WILL WRITE SOME ONE OR TWO-SHOTS AND SHORT STORIES, SOME SET IN THIS UNIVERSE, SOME NOT.**

 **SEE YOU ALL, AND THANK YOU.**

Epilogue-Nineteen years later

 _September 1, 2016_

Harry pushed the trolley forward, pointing with one hand toward the metal barrier with a sign attached.

"So, we used to have to walk through that. Nowadays, it's just normal metal, but they've left it up as a memorial of how we had to hide from muggles. You would walk straight through it, and come onto a totally different platform!"

No-one really seemed excited by this. Daphne was trying to get Agrippa to walk on his own, Livia was gripping the trolley and looking around for the Malfoys, Bellona just glared at everything, Hector was walking slowly, deep in thought, and Damien kept calling out and waving to his friends.

"No need to be so overjoyed," he said, a bit grumpily.

Damien shot him a cocky grin. "Dad, we've all seen the sign. And you talk about it every year"

"When you get to my age, you'll find-"

"Hey, it's the Malfoys! I'm going to talk to Lucius!"

With that, Damien was running off, leaving his trunk and owl still on the trolley.

"Mum? Please, can I go to Helena?"

"Livia, we'll be there in a second!" Daphne put Agrippa on the ground and folded her arms, ignoring his cries. "Please!"

"Fine"

Livia ran off to her cousin, squealing loudly.

"I still find it hard to believe how different it is now," he said softly, pushing the trolley again.

"You always go on about that" Bellona muttered.

He looked around. They still hadn't finished clearing all the ruined buildings and rubble, and there were still large scorched craters on the ground.

They weren't hiding out in platform nine and three quarters, no. They had the entire King's Cross station. It was a lot bigger than strictly necessary, but still.

The Hogwarts Express was the only train leaving the station.

Parents clustered around the red locomotive, children running around and playing.

"Come on, Harry. I want to speak to Damien before he gets on the train"

He grinned at her, turning back to where the Malfoys waited, Draco waving at him while Tori bent down and spoke to Scorpius.

He spun around at the sound of shifting metal, his wand flashing.

A small boy, no older than twelve, rose into the air, shouting for help until Daphne hit it with a body-bind and it stiffened, its back straightening up sharply.

He looked the child over, ignoring Bellona's tugging at his hand.

The boy was scrawny, ribs clearly visible through the hole in the shirt. Its pants were ripped, its face scratched.

And it was clearly a muggle.

Nevertheless, he had to be sure.

"Daph? Will you check, please?"

She muttered under her breath, her wand twisting.

And a flashing red light appeared above the muggle boy's head.

He scowled.

"Well. They always manage to escape. Avada-"

Bellona tugged his hand hard, squealing loudly.

"Daddy!"

"What?" He snapped, interrupting the curse and looking down at her.

He sighed when he saw the light in her eyes.

"Can we keep it? Please, daddy? Please?"

"You know the rules, honey," he said gently. "Besides, what do you even want it for?"

She pouted, sticking her lip out.

"It's gonna be so boring, with the boys gone. Livia's always with Helena, and Agrippa's just a baby, and then there's me! Please, daddy, please! I'll even feed it and clean up, and it won't make extra work for Badgy, and-"

His heart was already melting. He couldn't say no to her, not when she looked at him with those wide eyes.

He glanced at Daphne and saw her giving a minuscule nod.

"Fine," He said, squatting and looking his daughter in the eyes. "But if it makes trouble, we're getting rid of it. And I don't want you forgetting to feed it. Ok?"

She nodded, sticking out a small hand.

"Deal"

He shook her hand and turned back to the muggle boy.

His wand flashed, and the boy fell to the ground. Before it could try to run through, a leash was conjured around its neck, and he pulled on it tightly.

"Now. You can talk to it, but you're not allowed to touch it or anything. Not till we've had it tested"

Daphne's lips curled in distaste. "I don't even want to think about what type of diseases it could have, living out here for so long"

Bellona held out her hands expectantly. Harry shook his head, preparing for an outburst.

"Sorry, dear. But you can hold the leash when we get home. Not out here, like this. K, honey?"

She looked like she was going to have a tantrum for a moment, then she simply smiled up at him and hugged his legs tightly.

"Thank you, Thank you! You're the best!"

Daphne smiled warmly at her when she ran over and hugged her as well.

"Dad? Can I-can I talk to you for a bit? Before we meet up with everyone?"

He looked down at Hector.

"Sure. Daph, can you take this stuff? We'll meet you over with your sister and Draco"

As Daphne took the leash and trolley, a loud slap split the air behind them.

His head whipped around again, just in time to see Bellona ball her hand into a fist and punch the muggle straight in its nose.

"If you ever talk to me like that again," she shouted, the words sounding strange in her little girl's voice, "My daddy will cut your balls off and make you eat them!"

He shared a bemused glance with Daphne.

Bellona meanwhile had moved around the fallen muggle and kicked it in its back. "Stand up! Fucking walk, muggle!"

"Wow," He said softly, scratching his chin, "Maybe I shouldn't have taken her to work with me"

Hector chuckled, his nervous demeanor breaking for a moment.

They moved to a bench, watching as Daphne pushed the trolley to the Malfoys, her tugging on the leash causing the muggle to fall every few meters.

Bellona would invariably shout at it and kick it.

He waited for Hector to speak. He knew he wasn't a top class parent by any stretch of the imagination, but even he knew not to try and dig something out of his son before he was ready to talk.

"I'm-I'm scared," Hector finally admitted. "I've never really been away from the family before. Not for long"

He didn't interrupt, only moved his arm around Hector's shoulders.

"What if-I've heard of people getting bullied-what if-"

"Hector. You are my son. And I know, one hundred percent, that you will be more than capable of taking care of yourself"

Hector looked up at him, eyes a bit watery.

"And Damien, Lucius, and Scorpius will be there. So'll Amber and Emily. You already have a strong friend group. You're not going to be lonely. And if you have any problems,"

He put his hand next to Hector's, the twin ravens on their wrists glittering evilly.

"If you have any problems, or even just feel like talking, you know you can reach your mother or me in an instant. And if you need us, we'll be there"

Hector looked him in the eyes and whispered.

"What if I don't get into Slytherin?"

Harry smiled.

" _$Do you really think you'll go anywhere else?$"_

Hector switched as easily as he had, smiling a little as they spoke the sergeants' tongue.

" _$No, it's just-what if I'm not good enough?$"_

" _$Hector. It's not a matter of good enough. It's about what type of person you are. Horatio was a Ravenclaw. So was Alaine. Auntie Capella was a Hufflepuff even$"_

" _$But you and mum were Slytherins. So were uncle Draco and aunt Tori. And Mum's parents. And Damien and Lucius. And-$"_

"Hector," he said gently, rubbing his fingers over the boy's wrist, "look"

He did, focusing on their matching tattoos.

"Of course I would like you to go to Slytherin. But no matter where you're sorted, you'll still be my son. I'll still love you no matter what. And if you go somewhere else, well. Tradition has to start somewhere"

Hector rubbed at his eyes, looking away.

"And you certainly don't have to worry about being bullied. You're my son. The only people stupid enough to mess with you would probably be too stupid to know how to fight"

Hector sparked up at that, a smile creeping across his lips.

"And you know what? If there's anyone giving you issues, and they're too much for you to handle, let me know and I'll kill their family"

He looked up at his father.

"You mean it?"

"I promise"

After a moment, they stood up and began making their way to where the rest of the family stood.

"Why do we have to take the train?" Hector asked suddenly, sounding far more like his usual self. "You and mum could apparate us there in literally a second! Why do we need to take a seven-hour drive?"

"It's traditional," Harry said firmly, "Besides, it gives you a chance to get your head into school mode"

"So, taking in strays now?" Draco asked snidely as they reached the group.

He rolled his eyes, groaning. "God, if she wants more of them..."

"Then you'll give her more. C'mon, you've never been able to tell her no"

He punched Draco lightly on the arm, watching as the boys ran onto the train with their trunks and owl cages.

"Gonna be a big one this year," Draco said, "the memorial. Twenty years on"

"Don't remind me," Daphne said with a sigh, "I hate those damned things. Draco, can't you at least arrange better food?"

Draco shook his head regretfully. "Trust me, I wish I could"

"He wants us each to talk," Harry said, "yes, Draco, even you"

"I wasn't even there" he grumbled.

"You can argue with Him"

"No, he won't," Tori said, looking affronted, "he'll talk, and he'll talk marvelously. Won't you, dear?"

"Of course I will"

"What had Hector so worried?" Daphne asked him quietly. "Just first day nerves?"

"Yeah. And he was worried he wouldn't get into Slytherin, and that we'd stop loving him or something"

"As if. Did you tell him Damien asked the same thing his year?"

He shook his head. "I don't want him thinking that I'll tell his siblings all the stuff he tells me"

"Smart"

"Cunning, babe. Cunning"

The boys came running off of the train, ducking and weaving through the crowds as the first whistle blew.

"Bye, mum! Bye, dad! See you Christmas!"

"Bye Damien! No more detentions this year! And give Severus our love!"

Damien just winked at them, waving as he and Lucius disappeared onto the train.

Harry waited patiently, while Hector tightly hugged Daphne and kissed her goodbye.

"It'll be Christmas break before you know it"

He smiled up at her, nervousness clouding his joy again.

"You'll be fine son. I promise. You'll be better than fine. You'll be fucking amazing"

His grin split his face as he pulled Harry into a tight hug again.

"Thanks, dad"

Daphne called after him as he ran into the train, her voice piercing through the whistle's shrill cry.

"Don't forget to write!"

"I won't"

And a few minutes later, the pistons began to move, and the Hogwarts Express left the station.

They stood there for a few minutes longer, watching the great bellows of steam trail the crimson train into the distance, listening to the muggle boy cry as Bellona talked about what a nice kennel she had in mind for it.

"They'll be fine," Daphne said, giving his arm a squeeze.

He smiled, his fingers running along his cheek, rubbing his scars.

"I know"

The muggle broke out into great sobs when Bellona started talking about its training, how it can help Badgy with the housework since the elf's been getting older, and his grin widened.

It was nineteen years since they had conquered Hogwarts, fifteen years since they had conquered Africa, six years since the last major muggle uprising on the farms, and all was well.

 **THE END**


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